Poker is a gambling game where the object is to make the best hand possible. The hand is created by combining pocket cards and community cards.

One of the earliest forms of poker was a gentleman’s game played during the American Revolution. It was a three-card brag and was popular in the U.K. Eventually it evolved into a full 52-card deck.

There are several variants of the game, including draw poker, community card poker, and lowball and split-pot. Some games require a special fund, the kitty, to pay for the cards. This fund is divided among players who still have chips to play with.

The kitty is a fund based on the idea of cutting a low denomination chip from each pot and using the chips to pay for the next round of cards. While not a formal invention, this is an important component of a game like poker.

A standard 52-card deck is used, but jokers are often added to the pack. Cards are dealt in sets, either face up or face down.

Several other variations of the game exist, such as two-pack poker. In two-pack games, contrasting colors are required. If a player folds during the course of a round, he or she forfeits all rights to the original pot.

A five-card hand with no bluffing involved is considered a straight. Ties are broken by the high card, if they occur. Similarly, the lowest value chip is the blue one.