The rules of poker are governed by the professional Tournament Directors Association (TDA). This organization is made up of more than 2,500 members from 63 countries. It includes managers of large live poker rooms and independent tournaments.
Poker started to spread around the United States and across the world during the 1870s. It became a staple in Wild West saloons in frontier settlements. However, the game’s rules were not standardized.
Poker’s rules were revised and standardized in the early 2000s. In 2008, the International Poker Federation created a set of international poker rules. These rules were released to the public.
A “dead hand” is one that has no legal playable cards. Dead money is chips that have been taken from the pot and are no longer a part of the player’s bet.
If a player’s hand is not legally playable, the pot can be split between players. This occurs if there is one or more all-ins.
The big blind is the player who must place a pre-determined amount of chips in the pot before the cards are dealt. Another player, the small blind, places a smaller amount.
In some games, the dead collection blind is used as a seat rental. The fee for the hand is posted by the dealer.
The player with the highest poker hand wins the pot. Ties are split among the winners. When the dealer’s hand is exposed, the player with the hand showing the best five-card combination wins the pot.