Poker is a card game where the outcome of a hand significantly involves chance. However, most players choose to place money into the pot voluntarily, as a result of their individual strategies chosen on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory. Players also bluff other players for various strategic reasons. Ultimately, the strength of a player’s hands depends on their ability to read the tells of other players, as well as their own body language and actions.

The first thing to do when starting a hand is to read the table, watch the other players and look for any tells that may be present. In addition, it is important to remember that every player has a different style and it’s essential to learn how to read these differences. For example, if a player takes a long time before deciding on their action it usually indicates that they have a strong hand and are weighing up the amount of money they could win versus losing their entire stack.

When a player’s turn comes around they must either call or raise the bet size of those who have already placed their bets. If they check, they are passing on the opportunity to make a bet and letting the next player have a chance to do so. In many cases, this allows weaker players to see a weakness in the stronger players and take advantage of it. However, there are many other ways to exploit weaknesses in the stronger players.