Poker is a card game, a form of gambling, played around the world. The goal is to be the first to build the best hand of cards. This is usually achieved by betting. However, the best hand is not always the winner.

In poker, each player is dealt a set of five cards. They may be face up or face down. If they are face down, the players can discard three of them and keep the rest.

Each player is allowed to make a forced bet. These can be an ante or a blind. Some games require the player to make a minimum ante before they can bet.

A “showdown” occurs when the hands of the players are revealed. If two or more players have the same card, then a tie is resolved.

There are several variants of poker, which vary in how many cards are in play and the rules regarding card dealing. For example, lowball is usually played with a single or multiple blinds.

The best possible poker hand involves a combination of two distinct pairs and a fifth card. One of the highest cards is used to break a tie.

There are also several types of draw poker, such as lowball, seven-card stud, and five-card draw. Although they all use similar tactics, each type is played with a slightly different set of rules.

As a general rule, the best hand is only the best 5-card hand. It can be a straight, flush, or a high hand.