Poker is a card game that involves betting on the outcome of a hand. The player who has the best hand wins. While luck plays a part in the game, skill and psychology also play a major role. It can be played socially for pennies or with matchsticks, or professionally for thousands of dollars. There are hundreds of variants of poker, and it is the most popular card game in the world.
When playing poker, a standard 52-card pack is used with two jokers. Several different types of games are played with these cards, and each game may have its own special rules. Some of these games use only one pack, while others use two packs, each with contrasting colors, to speed up the deal.
Each table should have a designated banker who keeps track of the total number of chips each player has. The banker should not make private transactions with players or exchange chips for cash, but should only issue additional chips when requested by a player. The banker should also keep a record of the number and denominations of chips in each pot.