Poker is a card game, played with chips and cards, that has gained tremendous popularity in the United States. It is usually played in private homes, in poker clubs and casinos, and on the Internet. The game is primarily a skill-based endeavor, but luck does play a significant role. A player must be able to read the opponents and the situation at the table.
The game is usually played with a standard 52-card pack, including one joker (called the bug). There are four suits; no suit is higher than another. Each hand consists of five cards; the highest hand wins. A player can fold, call or raise a bet.
A player must act within his or her turn unless instructed otherwise by the dealer. A player may not show his or her cards to any other player, adviser, or spectator; discuss strategy with such a person; or expose his or her cards while action is pending. If a player exposes his or her cards, the hand is dead unless it is properly mucked.
During the course of a hand, players can verbally state their intention to take a particular action; this statement is binding. However, a player may not take an action out of turn; any such actions are subject to penalty.
A chip found behind after a call does not automatically count as part of the accepted action, although the TD can decide to award the player the chip(s) if it is clear that the player was not saving them. The TD can also impose additional penalties on a player who takes an excessive amount of time to make a decision.