Poker is a card game played by players with a variety of strategies. The objective of the game is to develop a hand of cards which includes the best combinations of five cards. Often a single game is played with a number of players, and the game can be played with as few as three or as many as eight. The highest hand is the winner and takes home the pot.

To play poker, you need a deck of playing cards and a large table. The most popular version of the game is called Texas Hold’Em, and it is often played with an ante, which is a small bet made by each player. The ante is often based on the amount of money being played, and can range from one to five dollars.

You can start with any number of players, but it is usually best to play with a minimum of six or eight. A full 52-card deck is required, but some variant games use two packs.

The best hand is the one that contains the lowest cards. This may be a pair of aces or an ace and a king. The aces may also be treated as the lowest card in some games.

It is possible to win a hand with only two cards, but this is very unlikely. The lowest possible hand is a 7-5-4-3-2 in two or more suits. In some variations, the pot is split between the lowest and highest hands.