In most modern poker games, the first round of betting begins with one or more of the players making some form of a forced bet (the blind or ante).
Thus poker games vary in deck configuration, the number of cards in play, the number dealt face up or face down, and the number shared by all players, but all have rules that involve one or more rounds of betting. While the earliest known form of the game was played with just 20 cards, today it is usually played with a standard deck, although in countries where short packs are common, it may be played with 32, 40 or 48 cards.
It is played worldwide, but in some places the rules may vary. Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules.
For the magazine, see Poker Player.Ī game of Texas hold 'em in progress.
