A hand in Poker is a combination of cards that are all the same value. A hand of kings beats a hand of queens, and vice versa. The highest-ranking hand wins the pot. Some poker variants use alternate hands, but the most common hands are listed below. All players are equal in the kitty, which is used to buy new decks of cards and food. The kitty chips are split among players who are still in the game. A player who leaves before the game is over is not entitled to a share of the kitty.

When the betting interval ends, the cards are dealt face down. If no one has a higher-ranking hand, the other players have to call. At the end of a round, all bets are gathered into a central pot. Typically, this pot contains the winnings of all the players in the round. If the player has the highest-ranking hand, they win the pot. But if there’s an opponent with a higher rank, they must call in order to get rid of the opponent’s hand.

The term “poke” is a slang word for card hustlers. This word was used by pickpockets to rob people. It was also used to cheat unsuspecting opponents. This term was later changed to “poke” and was adopted as the official name of the game. Today, poker is a simple and exciting card game that involves a significant element of cheating. So, it is important to know and understand the rules of the game and the basic strategies to win the game.