Like most games, the aim of poker is to win. Whether you're playing for fun or for money, poker will test your skills and strategic abilities.

There are many varieties of poker games but they all follow the same basic format:

• Players contribute toward a central 'pot' that contains play chips or chips representing actual money
• Players are dealt cards (a 'hand'), some or all of which are concealed
• Wagers are made on the strength of the cards in rounds of betting
• After the betting rounds are over, the player with the strongest hand - or the last player left standing after the others have folded - wins!

No matter which type of poker you want to play, it's crucial that you understand the deck and that you know the rank of hands.