Poker is a card game that involves betting and putting down chips. It is played with a standard 52-card pack plus two jokers. The cards are dealt from a deck that is shuffled while the hand is being dealt. Some games are played with just one pack of cards, while others use two packs of contrasting colors and one or both packs of jokers.
The game is regulated by rules of the TDA (Tournament Directors Association), which supplement the house rules. The TDA is a non-profit organization with the mission to increase global uniformity of tournament rules.
TDA Rule 1: Players are entitled to a pot count in pot-limit play. In no-limit and limit play, the pot is determined by the size of accepted action. A player who makes a bet without a clear and reasonable verbal declaration or pushes out an incorrect amount of chips commits those chips to the pot and will not have the right to withdraw them.
Players must protect their right to act by not discussing a hand with any other player or spectator, even when the hand is tabled. Similarly, exposed cards may not be shown to any other player or spectator. In stud, a player’s cards must be pushed forward low to the table and not intentionally exposed or “helicoptered.”
Players are expected to keep their hands in view at all times and to act promptly so that the game can flow smoothly. TDs can require players to call for a clock and may adjust time limits or take other steps to fit the game and stop persistent delays.