Poker is a card game played between two or more people. The player with the best 5-card hand wins all the money put down as buy-ins at the table. If there is a tie, the players with the best hands share the money in a pot. Players are dealt 7 cards total; their own two personal cards plus the five community cards on the table form a poker hand.

A good poker player knows when to bet and how much. They know that luck can turn at any time so they need to be able to fold a bad hand when the board shows something that makes their hand weak. They also know that bluffing is an important part of the game and they can use this to their advantage by making large bets on strong hands or when the board shows potential for a good flop.

When the action is on you, it’s a good idea to say “I call” or “I raise” when betting. This lets the other players at the table know that you have a good poker hand and want to force out weaker hands.

It’s important to be able to read the other players at the table. Conservative players often don’t bet very high and can be bluffed into folding early on. Aggressive players, on the other hand, tend to make a lot of bets early in a hand and can sometimes be fooled by bluffing.