Poker is a card game that requires several skills, including discipline and perseverance. It also requires smart game selection and confidence in your ability to make rational decisions.

The first step to becoming a successful poker player is understanding the rules of the game. Depending on the variant of poker being played, each betting interval is preceded by a player opening the pot with a bet; the next player to the left must either “call” (i.e., match) the bet, or “raise”; if the player raises, they must put in more chips than the previous player had put into the pot.

Another important strategy is to use position effectively. Acting last, or pre-flop, gives you a lot of information about your opponents and their betting patterns.

A good poker player will know when to fold or raise based on a variety of factors, including the strength of their hand and the amount of bluff equity that is available. The smallest bet sizing for the size of your stack, for example, will help you narrow down the range of hands that are playable against you.

The element of chance plays an important role in the outcome of every hand. This is an essential part of the game that will always make the optimal play different from the wrong one. This is a difficult element of poker that can make the difference between winning and losing, but it’s one that you must understand.