Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The aim is to make the best five card hand using your own 2 cards and the 5 community cards (known as the flop, turn, river). Each player places bets into the pot before the revealing of the final hands. The highest hand wins the pot.
During the game of Poker, there are many decisions to be made, and good poker players are able to use their knowledge of probability and psychology to call or fold their hands according to a strategy that is designed to make them long-term profitable. Additionally, good poker players are able to read the tells of their opponents, which can be as subtle as a change in posture or facial expression.
In the modern form of the game, a player must place an initial amount into the pot before the cards are dealt, known as a forced bet. This is typically in the form of an ante or blind bet.
When the betting comes around to your turn, you must decide whether to raise, call or check. If you have a strong value hand, raising can inflate the size of the pot, and can also provide you with a greater chance of winning the hand. However, if you have a weak hand or are drawing to one, calling can allow your opponent to steal the pot by putting in additional bets. This is why it’s important to understand the importance of reading your opponents’ tells.