Poker is a popular game throughout the world. It combines principles of card games known hundreds of years ago in Europe and probably long before that in the Orient, but in its present form it is distinctly of American origin. There are many variations of Poker, but they differ mostly in details and all follow the same basic principles. A person who has learned these principles can play without difficulty in any game.

Poker is a game of betting as to which player holds the best hand. In most cases, best hand contains the five highest-ranking cards, but what is considered the best hand can vary in some types of Poker. In a High/Low Poker game, two players have the opportunity to win and split the pot. The player with the highest-ranking hand and the player with the lowest-ranking hand win.
All bets made by all players go in a pile of chips in the center of the table, called the pot. No player can compete for the pot unless he or she is willing to meet the highest bet made by another player. Because of this rule, players are able to bluff and win the pot.
The object of the game is to win the pot. A player can win the pot in one of two ways:

After all bets are in, all players that are still in show their hands. The player with the best hand wins.

If during betting, a player makes a bet that no other players are willing to meet, that player wins the pot without showing his/her cards.

All cards of the 52 card deck are used. The cards are dealt one at a time, clockwise motion (number of cards varies with game). Aces are high, but aces rank low in the sequence A-2-3-4-5.