Poker is a card game where the twin elements of chance and skill are required to win. Over time, the application of skill will eliminate much of the luck element.
The best way to write a story about Poker is to focus on the people who play the game. Their reactions to each other and the by-play between them will make a far more interesting article than simply describing how they play the cards.
During the course of a game, players may establish a special fund, called a “kitty,” in order to pay for things like new decks of cards and food and drink. The kitty is usually built up by taking one low-denomination chip from each pot in which there has been more than one raise. This money is usually distributed evenly amongst the players who remain in the game after the kitty is full.
Players place an ante before being dealt five cards and start betting on their chances of having the highest poker hand. In the first round of betting, only the player with a pair or higher will win the pot (all the chips bet so far). When four of the cards are dealt face up, a fifth card is dealt to form a showdown. The high card breaks ties in the case of more than one high hand.
The highest poker hand is the royal flush, which consists of four matching cards of the same rank and all in the same suit. The second-highest is a straight, which consists of 5 consecutive cards of the same rank in a single suit. Other poker hands include a full house, which consists of three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another, and a pair.