Poker is a card game that is played around the world. The object of the game is to collect a set of cards that contain the highest possible ranking from Ace high to Ace low. Unlike most card games, however, poker has a distinct ranking system. Each player makes bets, and other players must either match, raise, or fold. Its popularity has been highest in North America, where it is played in casinos and private homes, as well as on the Internet. Many people refer to poker as the “national card game” because of its prominence and pervasiveness throughout the country.
In a game of poker, the lowest possible hand is called a pair. Five cards of the same rank are called a pair, and a pair of aces is considered a pair. When the highest pair has a higher ranking than the lowest, a pair of aces wins the hand. A pair of aces is also considered a pair, but there is no requirement that it be a pair. The highest card in a hand is called a high-card hand.
In poker, the highest-ranking hand is the highest-ranking card in a hand. A straight is five cards in order. They may be high or low, but they should not wrap around. A straight that beats a straight, but not a flush, is a high-value hand. If two players have a straight that have the same value, they split the pot. If two straights have the same rank, the high-ranking three-of-a-kind will win.