Usually, a standard pack of 52 cards is used to play poker. However, some variants use more than one deck. Wild cards are also sometimes added. They allow the player to supplement his hand with any card.
When the cards are dealt, the players are allowed to check, raise, or fold. If a player raises, other players must call.
When the betting phase ends, the winner is the person with the best hand. If a tie occurs, the high card breaks the tie. If no one has a pair, the next highest card wins.
The high card also breaks ties if two or more people have a high hand. This is the case when a player has a high pair and another has a high set or two different high hands. If all the cards are the same type, the high card is kings-or-better.
The pot is divided equally between the winners. The winning player collects the pot and does not reveal his hand. The remaining players are given the opportunity to collect their money in the side pot. Some players may drop out during the game.
The dealer deals each player seven cards. They may be face up or face down. The dealer cuts the cards. The player to the left of the dealer button is the first to act.
A player can discard up to three cards. This improves the rank of his hand. The player can also make a forced bet, which is a blind bet.