When playing poker, each round has a dealer. The dealer is responsible for shuffling the deck and dealing the cards to players. Sometimes, a non-player will be designated to be the dealer for the whole game. During the game, players take turns as dealers. The dealer is designated with a chip, which is passed on to the next player at the end of each round. Certain betting rules apply based on the location of the dealer.

While the game is played with a certain number of players, the optimal number is 6 or eight. The game is won by having the best poker hand or making the highest bet that no other player calls. The goal of poker is to be the highest-ranking player, which is called the pot. In professional games, players should keep in mind that this is not common. The more experienced players are, the more likely they are to be able to make the winning move.

A player must make a mandatory bet before starting a game. The bet may be an ante or a blind bet. The dealer will then deal the cards one at a time to each player. The cards are dealt face-up or down, depending on the variation. Poker hands develop between rounds. For example, the player who drops out of a side pot may lose the main pot. This means that different players may win the main pot and side pots.