Poker is a card game in which players place bets based on the strength of their hand. It is played from a standard pack of 52 cards, with some variant games using multiple packs or adding jokers. The suit ranks are spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs; no suit is higher than another. A winning hand contains five cards of the highest rank. A tie is resolved in a variety of ways depending on the rules of the specific game.

In most cases, a player’s hands must remain hidden from other players. Generally, this can be done by holding up one’s arms or placing a chip on top of a hand. This protects the cards from being exposed, which would allow other players to cheat by studying opponents’ hands.

It is also improper for a player to receive “coaching” or advice from a guest sitting in a non-playing seat at the table. It is also against the rules to look at other players’ hands or discuss hand or board possibilities.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and other locations around the world. The WSOP began in 1970 and is now one of the most popular gambling events in the world. The WSOP Player of the Year rankings were originally based on performance only at the WSOP in Las Vegas until 2011 when they began to include results from the World Series of Poker Europe and, beginning in 2013, the World Series of Poker Asia Pacific as well.