The basic rules of poker include the following:

• Each player is dealt a hand of cards, and the goal is to have the best hand of cards among all players.
• Players take turns betting, raising, or folding based on the strength of their hand.
• There are a number of rounds of betting, and the last player remaining in the hand after all rounds of betting is the winner.
• The ranking of hands in poker, from highest to lowest, is as follows: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
• In the case of a tie, the pot is split among the tied players.
• Common variations of poker include Texas hold 'em, Omaha, Seven-card stud, Razz and many more.

Texas Hold'em is a popular variation of the card game of poker. Here are the basic rules for playing Texas Hold'em:

• Each player is dealt two private cards (hole cards) that belong to them alone.
• Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board."
• All players in the game use these shared community cards in conjunction with their own hole cards to each make their best possible five-card hand.
• In Texas Hold'em, a player may use any combination of the seven cards available to them to make the best possible five-card hand.
• The player who makes the best hand wins the pot.
• The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three ("the flop") then two additional single cards ("the turn" and "the river").
• The objective of the game is to win the pot, which contains all the bets made in the game.
• The game is divided into a series of hands (or deals); at the conclusion of each hand, the pot is typically awarded to one player (an exception in which the pot is divided between two or more is discussed below). A hand may end at the showdown, in which case the remaining players compare their hands and the highest hand is awarded the pot; that highest hand is usually held by only one player, but can be held by more in the case of a tie.
• Betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer (the button).

Poker has a long and storied history, with roots dating back to the 10th century in China. The game is believed to have been played with dominoes and cards in various forms, and eventually made its way to Europe and America where it evolved into the game we know today. The earliest version of the game was called "poque" in France and "pochen" in Germany, which later became "poker" in the United States. The game gained popularity in the United States in the early 19th century, particularly in the Mississippi River Valley, and has since become a worldwide phenomenon with many variations of the game and professional tournaments.

In poker, a cash game refers to a type of game where players buy-in for a certain amount of money and play with that money on the table. The goal is to increase the amount of money on the table by winning pots, and players can leave the game at any time with the money they have on the table.

In cash games, players are typically not eliminated from the game and are free to join or leave the table at any time. The blinds (forced bets) and the betting structure remain the same throughout the duration of the game, unlike in tournaments where the blinds increase over time.

Cash games come in different variations such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud and many others. They can be played with different betting structures such as no-limit, pot-limit or fixed-limit. No-Limit Texas Hold'em is the most popular cash game and is widely played in casinos and online.

Cash games can be played at different stakes, meaning the buy-in amount can vary. This allows players to choose a game that is within their budget and also to test their skill against players of similar skill levels.

Overall, cash games are a great way for players to hone their skills, test different strategies, and enjoy the game of poker in a more relaxed setting.