As poker becomes more of an international game, it has become increasingly important to establish a universal set of rules that can be accepted and adhered to across the board. While most players follow the same basic poker rules, there are many situations that can arise that require players to make exceptions. These circumstances, while rare, should be taken into consideration as the resulting problems can affect the game for everyone involved.
When playing poker, each player is given a supply of chips for the game. The chips are numbered and color-coded to help distinguish them from one another. A white chip is worth a minimum of one dollar; a blue chip is worth five whites; and a red chip is worth 10 or 20 whites. The banker keeps track of the chips and records how many each player has been issued or paid for in cash. During the game, players are not allowed to make private transactions or exchanges of their chips. A player who needs more chips should obtain them only from the banker.
In the early stages of a poker game, one player acts as dealer (this is provided by a casino if playing at a real table). The person to his or her immediate left must place a forced bet called a “blind” and the next player to act must raise it in turn. It is important for players to protect their hand against mucking, as it is considered a big breach of gamesmanship.