The game of Poker has a history that is as colorful and fascinating as its modern-day variations. Although the origins of the game are unclear, most scholars believe that it is a combination of earlier card games. It was the 17th-century French game poque, whose word poker comes from, that was first connected to the game. This game had two to four players and twenty cards. Although it was probably a slang term for card hustlers, it has been linked to its popularity as a game of skill and deception. Poker was brought to the Americas by French settlers.
In this variation of the game, the dealer is not one of the players, but a nominal dealer. The dealer button is a white plastic disk, which indicates the nominal dealer, which determines the order in which players bet. In the following rounds of betting, the dealer is replaced by another player. Each player has different betting options, including raising or folding. Folding means losing any bets you have already made. Checking means declining to make a bet.
A straight flush is the best natural hand in this game. This is a group of five cards of the same suit, starting with an ace. Aces can be high or low, but they cannot wrap around two pairs. The highest pair will win the hand in a tie, while the second pair wins if both four-card hands have a high card. Finally, an ace high straight flush is referred to as a Royal Flush.