When playing poker, there are several important rules to remember. One of these is that you should never make fun of your opponents. This is not the best way to get the respect of the other players. It can also lead to awkward situations. In addition, making fun of other players’ mistakes is a bad idea. It will only make everyone uncomfortable and ruin the fun.
To play poker, each player buys poker chips. The chip values depend on the number of players in the game. A white chip is the lowest valued chip. A red chip is worth five whites and a blue chip is worth two, four, or five reds. During a round of betting, each player “buys in” to the game.
After placing the blind and ante bets, the dealer will deal out cards. Each player must match the previous bet or fold. Players may also raise their bets, but they must do so before their turn comes. The round of betting will end when all players have folded. When a player folds, he loses all of his or her chips.
If a player has a pair, they must declare it before the other players foul their hand. In lowball, the player with the best hand wins the pot. Straights and flushes do not count against lowball hands. The joker is the lowest card not in the hand. If a player is playing a hand with a joker, he or she cannot check-raise.