Poker is a card game in which players place bets. These bets are known as ante or blind bets. Each player must ante an amount to participate in the game, usually a small sum such as $1 or $5. Players then place their bets into the middle pot. The player with the best hand wins the pot. The betting is done clockwise and players have three options when betting: to fold, raise, or match a previous bet.

A player who has a high-value opening hand can choose to keep it or bluff. To split an opener, players must declare that they have opened the pot, put their discards under their chip, and then wait for the dealer to expose the chip. If the dealer determines that the player could not have had openers, they lose the pot.

In order to win a pot, a player must have a pair of cards. Pairs consist of two cards in the same rank, a pair that is higher than the second pair, and an ace. However, in poker, a pair can be either high or low. If both players have a pair, they are in the lead, but if they do not have a pair, the high card will break the tie.

In the case of a tie, the odd-chips in the pot go to the player with the highest hand. However, there are times when two or more players tie for high or low hands. In these cases, the pot will be split as evenly as possible. In this case, the odd-chip goes to the player with the highest suit.