Poker is an international game played in virtually every country. Its origins date back to the sixteenth century when the Germans played a game of bluffing called Pochen. This game was eventually brought to France, where it became known as Poque. It was then played on riverboats on the Mississippi.

During the game, players must contribute to the pot before the dealer deals any cards. The player with the best hand wins the pot. The betting takes place in a clockwise manner. The player to the left of the dealer is called the small blind, while the player two positions to the left of the dealer is called the big blind.

A showdown is the final phase of the game. Players make bets on each hand. A hand will be considered “shown” if more than one player has made a raise or fold. A player who has all the cards in hand will win the pot. A player who is out of the game before the final round of betting is eliminated is referred to as a “drop.”

Poker has many variations. A variation of the game is community card poker, in which the dealer hands out pocket cards and community cards face up on the table. The players then use their pocket cards and the community cards to make hands. Another variation is draw poker, in which players may exchange up to three of their cards with the dealer. After this exchange, they use the cards from both sets to create a hand.