Poker is the world's most popular card game. There isn't any confirmation about its place of origin. One school of thought claims it to be Persia while others think it originated in Europe. People play poker either in their homes, card rooms, or virtually in the Internet.

For a person to get started with the game, he or she has to be familiar with its basic rules and mechanics of the game. There are certain things one needs to know before playing the game like what equipment you'll need, how each hand should be played, when to bet and how, and lastly what kind of phrases to use for the game.

To play Holdem poker you need a place with proper sitting arrangement for the player, a new pack of cards, a postillion to conceal the bottom card, and chips and a dealer button. The ideal poker tables are rectangular with rounded corners. Usually an additional pack of cards with a different colored back may be used for shuffling. This helps in speeding up each hand. The postillion is a playing card-sized piece of plastic, which is kept under the pack. Minimum players required are 2 and maximum is about 11.

For an ideal game 5-10 players are generally required. If more players are there, then it is desirable to split into two tables. Playing with less number of players allows each player to play more number of hands and to have more involvement into the game. Also, the game becomes faster. You also require small and round colored chips or counters to represent money. The color of a chip denotes their denominations, which are as follows:

White - 1 Yellow - 2 Red - 5 Blue - 10 Grey - 20 Green - 25 Orange - 50 Black - 100 Pink - 250 Purple - 500 Burgundy - 1000 Light Blue - 2000 Brown - 5000

A nice poker set includes at least 200 chips and a dealer button. The dealer button is a large round counter in white.

Throughout the game you are expected to follow certain etiquettes:

#You should never act out of turn. #You should be decisive. #Never discuss your card once you have folded. Do it after you have finished. #Always remember to keep your chips on the table. #Keeping your cards in view is important. Try not to hold your cards, which might cause problems. #Emphasize on playing a fast game. #And always keep up the sportsman spirit in you.