As with any game, the goal of poker is to win the pot. A pot is the total amount of money wagered by players during a single hand. To win, a player must have the highest hand or convince an opponent to fold. However, there are many nuances to poker. For example, a winning hand isn’t always the best hand, so knowing when to fold is as important as knowing when to raise the stakes.

The highest hand in poker is a straight flush, which consists of five cards of the same suit. The ace may be high or low, but it cannot wrap around a pair of threes. A royal flush, on the other hand, is a straight five of a kind with all five cards of the same suit. The odds of winning a royal flush are one in nearly six million. Next highest is a four of a kind, which is made up of four aces or four threes. A fourth unmatched card does not matter in a straight flush, as long as it is higher than the fifth unmatched card.

In standard poker games, players wager money on the cards. The final community card is called a “rock.” This player is “tight,” meaning that they sit at the table for hours without playing. They often enter pots when they are holding goods, forcing the other players to raise more money. A straight flush, or “nuts,” is the best possible hand in standard poker. The best hand in standard poker is an ace-high straight flush.