A game of chance, poker is played with a set of cards and a few coins. The goal is to make the best hand.

To play, a player starts with five cards. These cards can be discarded, traded or used to form a new hand. Poker variants often add wild cards.

The highest possible card can be an ace. But a pair of aces isn’t the best hand, nor is a pair of kings.

For example, the straight flush is a five-card hand in sequential order, but it’s not a wraparound.

Another good hand is a three-of-a-kind. This is not the best possible hand, but it’s a lot better than a two-of-a-kind.

A full house is a three-card hand without a pair. An Ace high straight-flush is called a Royal Flush.

Ties are broken by a higher card. A high hand is a tie if all players are trying for the same thing. It can also be broken by two people with a high pair.

The simplest way to play a hand is to bet a specific amount into the pot. If no other player calls, the highest card wins.

There are many other ways to win in poker. For instance, a player could win the main pot by betting the right amount or make a bet that no one else makes.

Some variants require players to select a specific number of pocket pairs. Others use multiple packs of cards.