Several variants of poker are played. Some games award the pot to the player with the best hand, while others divide the pot between the lowest and highest hands.

The most common type of poker is a variant known as stud. This form of the game was first introduced during the American Civil War. The goal is to develop a hand from five cards. This can be accomplished by using community cards or by discarding some of the cards.

Other forms of the game are draw poker and lowball. These games are similar in that each player chooses five cards from which to create a hand. However, they differ in that the hand is constructed from the cards that are in front of the player.

The showdown is the final round of betting. Players place bets towards a central pot, which is then gathered together at the end of the round. The player with the highest-ranked hand wins the pot.

The best hand is often the highest-ranking card in the deck, while the worst is the lowest pair. In some variants, the lowest card is deemed the ace.

The smallest number of chips that can be used to make a bet is called the “ante”. The ante can be made before the hand is dealt. This can be used as an alternative to the traditional blind or small blind. In some games, the ante is not a requirement, and a player can simply put down the amount of money they want to bet.