Unless otherwise stated, Danny, the five-of-a-kind typically beats a royal flush.

Hey, Chip, plenty of players, when getting a two-card starting hand of Kings or Pocket Rockets, froth at the mouth like a diseased coyote. Most players, like yourself, tend to raise, then re-raise with either of these hands. But once you are identified as a very tight player, folding most of the hands you’re dealt, and then all of a sudden you pull a Pickett’s Charge, obviously you ain’t bluffing nobody.

I would recommend you occasionally “slow play” your big hand. If you have a pair of Kings or Aces, just call before the flop. Your fellow players by now are used to you betting big on big hands, but by your slow playing, opponents will now figure you for a weak hand, and you’ll end up winning a bigger pot because of it.

As for casino Hold’em games, Eric, the rule is that “cards speak.” Your poker hand is what it is, regardless of how you call or miscall it. Any verbal declaration as to the content of a player’s hand is not binding. If she claimed that the hand is worthless, but in fact she had a straight, her cards speak, and her hand is viewed for its genuine value, that of a straight. Her about-face was legit as long as her cards didn’t touch the muck, the pile of discarded cards in front of the dealer, or another player’s cards.

No way, Jay, afterthoughts are not allowed in poker.

That collection of face-down cards near the dealer composed of discards and folded hands is called the muck, garbage pile or trash. When someone throws one's cards into it, the thrower automatically withdraws from further participation in the current pot.

Above average if he happened to be the dealer, who happens to be a master card magician, or has unbelievable skills at dealing seconds and bottoms. You did though state “friendly” in part of your question, so, I’ll tell you that there are 2,598,960 possible hand combinations with a 52-card deck. So, Dale, the odds of getting any one specific hand would be one in 2,598,960.

For starters, Shane, whom did you call, the hostess in the casino coffee shop?

Two, you stated “One of the players said we should deal the cards without burning before the fourth and fifth card,” but it seems you all agreed, then spit up sour grapes, and finally you wrote me.

Well, it’s tough to referee after the fact an issue at someone else’s kitchen table, but here’s the deal, pun intended.

When it comes to burning cards, it is the function of the poker dealer is to burn a card after each betting round ends and before the community draw cards (the flop, the turn, and the river) are distributed. It’s commonplace in all casinos and card rooms that I have ever worked or played in and it is done to prevent cheating.

The genesis of the Ace’s mighty rise to power can be traced back to the French Revolution when the lowest numbered card (in that era the one) was positioned above the King to represent victory over the monarchy by the common man. Its chest did swell with pride, Ray.

Many games today, such as poker and blackjack, allow the player to choose whether the ace is to be used as a high or low card. For example, in Hold’em poker, an Ace is considered the highest card in the deck, with one exception: it can help form what’s called “the wheel,” or the lowest straight possible; an Ace - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5. With this 5-high straight, the five is the top card, not the Ace. Conversely, the highest straight called an ace-high straight or “Broadway,” is Ten-Jack-Queen-King-Ace. Unless you are playing a game where an Ace is specifically given a high or low value, it's usually played as either, never both. Wrapping the Ace, Ray, a Queen-King-Ace-2-3, would never constitute a straight.

When playing the best low hand, there are some poker games that permit the Ace to play low, ignoring both straights and flushes. For example, the 5-4-3-2-Ace is the best possible low, even if it makes a straight or straight flush. Other games count straights or flushes against you, but let the Ace play low, making 6-4-3-2-Ace the best possible hand. In games where the ace is ranked below the deuce, a pair of aces would also score lower than a pair of deuces.