The basic rules of poker are simple: a player with the best five-card hand wins the round and all of the money in the pot. The remaining players share the pot. The game usually lasts several rounds and, eventually, players will run out of money. To keep the game alive, a player can raise the bets of other players.

In a normal poker game, two players with identical pairs are tied. In this case, the winner is determined by the rank of the next card. If more than one player has a pair of five cards, the higher card wins the pot. Poker variations also include variations that use two or more cards for pairs. For example, in seven-card stud, two players can have five-card pairs.

In some games, the winning player may agree to share the pot with the last player. This is known as split pot poker. Since split pot poker is not an all-or-nothing game, it is considered to be the easiest poker game to play. For this reason, it is popular among beginners. It is also a fun game to play.

Each round of poker has a betting phase. The final round of betting involves a showdown. Players reveal their cards and evaluate their hands. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot.