Throughout the world, poker is a popular card game. It is played in private homes and in casinos. The goal of the game is to form the best hand of five cards. The highest hand wins the pot. Poker is played in many different forms, but the rules are generally the same.

Before a poker game, a dealer will assign values to the poker chips. Generally, the chips are white or blue. Players are given a number of rounds, each with a certain number of folds. If all of the players fold, the betting phase will end.

Once the initial round has finished, the dealer will pass a deck of cards to each player, one face up at a time. The cards are dealt in rotation. The back hand is closest to the player. The dealer passes the deck to the player on his right. The dealer may also pass the deck in sets of cards, if he wishes.

A betting interval occurs after each round of dealing. This interval enables players to check or fold. When all players check, the betting phase ends. When a player folds, he forfeits the rights to the pot.

If a player is forced to fold, he can either drop out of the pot, or he can continue competing for the pot. This is called “checking.” In some games, the player may pass on the option to bet.

In some games, the ace is treated as the lowest card. This may be because it can be linked to deuce or king.