The official rules of poker state that the game is played with a single deck of 52 cards. However, many people want to play with more than one deck of cards. This is often done at home games, where the players are generally looking to relax with friends and play meaningless stakes. There are also many casinos that use two decks to speed up the game. They also do this to prevent cheating from players that have been caught in the past.
While there is nothing stopping you from making up your own mutant version of the game with two decks, it would be tough to come up with proper hand rankings. For example, it would be hard to decide how much a three of a kind is worth and whether it is more or less than a straight flush. This is because the relative odds of the different hands would change significantly.
It would also be difficult to calculate what your opponents might be holding and their likelihood of improving to the winning hand. This could make bluffing much more difficult, and you might find yourself calling more raises with weaker hands. In addition, the number of possible combinations of five-card poker hands would increase dramatically. This would make it more likely that you will have a strong hand on the flop than if there was only one deck of cards in play.
Aside from these issues, using two decks of cards makes the game more complicated than if there was only a single deck of cards in play. This can make the game more challenging and interesting, but it can also lead to more confusion and fewer players winning the game. This can be a problem for new players, especially if they are playing with an experienced player who is used to a single-deck game.
Lastly, it is important to consider how many players will be in the game when considering the number of decks that are used. Typically, the maximum number of players on a table is 10 people. This is because more people will mean that the game will take longer and there are more opportunities for players to cheat.
Overall, it is best to stick with a single-deck game when playing poker for money. However, there is nothing to stop you from playing poker with 2 decks if you are with friends for fun and are willing to define the rules of the game beforehand. Moreover, it is always good to try out other poker formats before you settle on a 2-deck game. This way, you can start off on an even footing and avoid getting a big advantage right away. This is especially important if you’re playing for real money.