Official poker is a game in which individuals compete for an amount of money or chips contributed by the players themselves (the pot). It differs from other card games in that it requires betting in rounds, and in many variants, bluffing is allowed. The rules vary between games, and even within games, and a standard set of rules is desirable in order to minimize disputes.

The game is primarily dealt from a standard 52-card pack, sometimes with one or two jokers as wild cards. The cards are usually shuffled and cut before each deal, and the cards are passed to the next dealer in turn. The first round of betting begins after the cards are dealt. During subsequent rounds, the players develop their hands according to the specific game’s rules. Generally, the higher the rank of a hand, the greater the potential reward.

Occasionally, the hands of some players will be tied, and the procedure for breaking ties varies between games. For example, in a stud game, the suits of the cards (clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades) can be used to break ties, while the cards themselves may be used in a high-low game.

In most poker games, a common fund is established among the players, known as the kitty. This is a source of funds for food, drinks and new decks of cards. When the game ends, the kitty is divided equally among all of the players who are still in it.