As poker becomes a more international game, it has become increasingly important to establish a set of official rules that are accepted worldwide. To this end, the FIDPA has created a document of 81 rules, which is freely downloadable here, that can be used to resolve most of the disputes that can arise during games and tournaments.
While it is not a requirement that every player follow these rules, they are recommended for all players to read and understand. The more players are aware of the rules, the less likely they are to break them and potentially cause a dispute with the tournament directors or other players.
A key rule in poker is that all players must protect their cards by using their hands or something else on top of them. Failure to do so may result in a player being disqualified. Another key rule is that a player cannot reveal their hand before all the betting has completed. This is to avoid ghosting, which is a serious issue in online poker due to software like TeamViewer.
Most poker games are played with a standard 52-card pack, and in many cases two packs of contrasting colors are utilized to speed up the deal. The decks are cut and shuffled before being dealt, and the deal is controlled by a button (usually a white plastic disk) that is rotated among the players to mark a nominal dealer for each hand.