Official poker is played using a variety of colored chips to represent money, from the lowest denomination (white) up through the higher denominations of blue, red and black. A minimum of 200 chips is required for a table of seven players. Some games also use a special fund called a “kitty” to pay for cards and food. Any player may contribute to the kitty, and any excess amounts are divided equally among those in the game at the time of the contribution.
The rules of poker are generally accepted to be consistent, but there are many local customs and preferences that have developed over the years. Regardless of the specifics, all clubs and groups should adopt a written code of rules to settle questions on which there is disagreement.
In jacks-or-better draw, the player who opens a pot with a pair of kings qualifies to open the pot and receives the cards in that hand. The cards in a player’s own hand that are exposed to the other players are called his “openers.”
In limit poker, one player cannot raise any more than the amount raised by an opponent in the previous betting round. A player who does so is called a check-raiser. This is against the spirit of the game and is considered rude to fellow players. Likewise, it is impolite to discuss the probability of a particular hand in any way. This is considered bad form, and it gives away information that could help an opponent improve his or her strategy going forward.