Poker is a card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards (although some games use multiple packs or add jokers). The highest five-card hand wins. There are a number of different poker variations, the most popular of which is Texas hold ’em. Texas hold ’em is the main event of most major tournaments and is one of the most popular forms of play on the Internet and in live casinos.

During tournament play, each player “buys-in” for a set amount of chips. Then, betting proceeds until the players either accumulate all of the available chips or a deal is made to divide the remaining prize money pool amongst players.

Players may not leave the table while their hands are live, unless they have declared they intend to rebuy before the hand starts. Players who verbally state that they will call, raise, or fold are held to that action. The only exception to this rule is if they announce their intention before the start of heads-up play.

The rules of poker also include a variety of other behavioral guidelines. These include protecting one’s hand, avoiding rabbit hunting (revealing cards that would have come out of the mucked hand had it not been mucked), and displaying good sportsmanship. Creating a disturbance, such as arguing or making excessive noise, is against the rules. Players must also refrain from using their cell phone at the table and during WFP finals.

If the winning hand is tied, a tiebreaker procedure is used to determine the winner of the pot. Typically, the odd chip goes to the first player clockwise from the button in a button game and to the high hand in a split high/low game. In some cases, the rank of a suit can be used to break ties.