The Rules

Poker is played with a deck of 52 cards. The deck will consist of four (4) each of the following cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King & Ace. (In some poker games, and Ace can be used as either a high or low card). The cards are separated into four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs). Poker games will dealt with either 5 or 7 cards, but either way, with the best 5 card hand determining the winner.

Ranking the Hands
The goal of any game of poker is to get the best possible hand. Often times there is confusion as to “what hand beats what.” To avoid confusion in the future, hands are ranked as follows (from high to low):

Royal Flush
A straight flush consisting of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit is the best possible hand in poker.

Straight Flush
A straight flush is the next best hand. A straight flush is similar to a royal flush, in that all of the cards must be of the same suit, except that a straight flush will consist of any five consecutive cards, not starting with a 10. (i.e. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of hearts; 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen of Diamonds, etc.)

Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is exactly what it says; four cards of the same denomination. If two or more players have four of a kind, then the player with the highest ranking card will win the game. If two players have the same four of a kind (this is only possible in either community games (i.e where cards are shared by all players at the table or games with wild cards), then the player with the next best card wins, since it would go to a five card hand. If the players are still tied, then the pot gets chopped (i.e. split between the players with the winning hand).

Full House
A player has a full house (also known as a “boat”) when their five card hand consists of three of a kind together with another pair. If two or more players have a full house, the player with the highest three of a kind wins.

Flush
When a player has a five card hand where all of the cards are of the same suit, he or she is holding a flush.

Straight
Just like the word says, a straight is a hand where all 5 cards are in sequential order. For this hand, unlike in a straight flush, there is no need for the cards to be of the same suit. If two or more players have a straight, the player with the highest ranking cards is the winner.

Three of a Kind
A player with three of a kind has three cards of the same denomination.

Two Pair
When a player has two sets of the same two cards, they have two pairs. If two or more players has two pairs, the player with the highest pair is the winner.

Pair
Two of the same numbered cards gives us a pair. If two or more players have pairs, the player with the higher pair is the winner.

High Card
When all else fails and no player at the table has mustered so much as a pair, the winning hand will go to the player with the highest card. In a five card hand, if more than one player has the same high card, we then look to the remaining cards to see who has the best hand.

Low Hand 
Some friendly card games will split the pot between the high and low hand. If you play in such a game, the best possible low hand consists of an Ace, 2, 3, 4 and 6. If going for the low hand, your objective should always be to get as close to this hand as you can.

Betting
Betting is where a good poker player will really excel. This is especially true in a no-limit game, where a player has the ability to push other players at the table around by making large bets. Generally, a poker game will begin with an “ante,” where some or all of the players will contribute money to get the pot going. In Texas Hold’em, the betting will begin with a “small blind” and a “big blind,” who are the two players seated immediately to the left of the “button” or the dealer.
After the cards are dealt, there will be an initial round of betting. Who has the right to start the betting depends on the game being played. In Texas Hold’em, the betting starts with the player immediately to the left of the “big blind.” In other games, it will either start with the person to the left of the dealer or the player with the highest card. Either way, once the betting begins, it will continue clockwise around the table. When the bet gets to a player, he or she will be faced with three choices; call, raise or fold. To call a bet means that the player will match the amount bet by the previous player. A raise is just as it sounds; a player increases the amount of the original bet. Folding means that the player is dropping out of the hand. Depending upon the game, betting will continue until all of the cards have been dealt, at which time the players will reveal their hands. Absent a bluff that forces a player with a better hand to fold, best hand wins.