Whether you play poker at the local casino or online, you know that it is a game of chance. But, there is also a certain skill involved, especially when you are betting. The skill comes from your knowledge of the game, and it is a good idea to study up before you play. You can find out more about the game by reading a book, but it can be a lot cheaper to learn from a group of people who already know how to play.
Besides the standard pack of 52 cards, some poker games have wild cards, which allow you to take any suit and make your hand any combination of high or low. Depending on the game, you can also add jokers, and sometimes you can even play multiple packs of cards.
The highest possible hand is three of a kind. If two people have three of a kind, the winner is the person who has the highest card, whether that card is high or low. If no one has three of a kind, the winner is whoever has the best card outside of three of a kind. The next highest card wins if there is a tie.
The next highest hand is two of a kind. If there is a tie, the highest card outside of two of a kind breaks the tie. If there is no tie, the highest straight wins. A straight is five cards in order, and does not wrap around. The best straight is a straight flush, which is all five cards of the same suit. The straight flush with an ace in it is called a Royal Flush.
A straight flush is the best natural hand. The ace in a straight flush is both high and low. If there is no straight flush, the highest card wins. The highest straight can be a straight flush with an ace, but it may not wrap around.
Two of a kind is when two cards of the same rank match. If there are two players with two of a kind of the same rank, the highest card outside the pair wins the pot. The second pair wins if there is a tie.
Three of a kind is when three cards of the same rank match. If there is a tie, the high card outside of three of a kind breaks the tie. If two players have three of a kind of the same rank, one of the cards in the high pair wins the pot. The high card outside of two of a kind breaks ties when there is more than one tie.
A pair is when there are two cards of the same rank, and both are of the same suit. A pair of kings isn’t terrible off the deal, but it’s not good off the board. It’s possible that Charley was trying to get a flush, but probably wasn’t. Brad probably didn’t have any aces, but still kept two cards.