Poker is a card game that requires a large amount of luck, but it also requires a great deal of skill and psychology. The game can be played for pennies or even matchsticks, or it can be played professionally for thousands of dollars. Regardless of whether you play the game for fun or for money, there are some rules that every player should know and follow to avoid misunderstandings and disagreements.

One of the most important rules is protecting your hand. You may not touch your own cards or the cards of other players. You should also use a poker chip or another object to cover your cards when you are not actively playing a hand. If you do not protect your cards, other players can claim that you cheated.

Similarly, it is important to stay level-headed, especially after a win. You will lose a lot of hands, and you should always expect to get beat. If you can’t control your emotions, you should stop playing the game and save yourself some money. Seeing how professional players like Phil Ivey handle bad beats is an excellent way to learn how to remain calm.

The rules of official poker vary between different games and tournaments. However, most of the rules are the same for all poker variants. Players must use their two hole cards or the community cards to create a poker hand. The best hand wins the pot. If the hand is a tie, a rule is in place to determine how the pot is split. This is usually done by a procedure based on suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades).