Poker is a variety of card games where players compete for the highest possible hand by betting on the value of their cards. The six most popular games are Texas Hold’ Em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, 5-Card Draw, and Follow the Queen. Although the game originated in ancient Persia, it is probably the French game poque that inspired the word poker. The game developed alongside the German pochen and eventually found its way to the New World with French settlers.

In some variations of Poker, players must make blind bets. Blind bets can replace or add to the ante. Blind bets are placed before each player is dealt a hand. Blind bet requirements are rotated among the players in the table every round. Players must call the blind bet before checking. This is a common practice for tournaments. If a player has a pair of aces, he or she is the highest-ranking player.

In most games, each player receives at least two cards of equal value. The lowest-valued chip is the white chip. Red chips are worth five whites, while blue chips are worth ten or twenty or more. Dark-colored chips are worth two, four, or five reds. The players “buy in” to the game by buying chips. Most games will require at least two hundred chips, with the first player being dealt five of each color.