Generally, poker is played with a deck of cards, which have been dealt in a circular fashion to each player. Players must place their bets before the cards are revealed to the dealer. The highest hand wins the pot.
The dealer deals two cards to each player. After each round of betting, the cards are returned to the table and dealt again. The dealer has the last right to shuffle. Each player can either shuffle their own cards or use the cards from the table.
The player to the left of the dealer, called the small blind, posts a small amount of money. The player to the right of the small blind, called the big blind, posts a larger amount of money. This gives all players something to chase.
After all the players have bet, each player has two cards in their hand. A player can either check, bet, or fold. The player who checks may raise the bet raised by another player. The player who raises the bet must call the bet.
If there are ties, the high card breaks the ties. If there are two people with the same high card, the second pair wins. If there are three people with the same high card, the third pair wins. A pair of kings is not a bad hand off the deal, but it is not a strong hand.
If there are two four of a kind with the same rank, the higher rank wins. If two four of a kind with the same suit are tied, the higher card breaks the tie.