Poker is a game of chance, but there’s also a lot of skill involved in it. Players must have strong discipline and focus to maintain a winning mindset, as well as the ability to recognize the mistakes of others in order to capitalize on them. It’s important to choose the right games for your bankroll and experience level, as not all games are profitable. This requires careful game selection and a willingness to invest time in the ones that offer the most opportunity for learning.

A good place to start is by focusing on playing tighter hands. As a beginner, it’s recommended that you only play the top 20% of hands in six-player games or 15% of hands in ten-player games. This will help you build a solid foundation for your game and give you the best chance to win.

Another great thing to do is study hand rankings and basic rules. This will help you understand what each hand is made up of, and the impact of your position at the table on your chances of making a strong hand.

Lastly, you should practice pot control. This means you should be the last player to act, and not only can this help you determine what your opponent has, but it can also inflate your pot size when you have a strong hand. Just be sure not to stack or pile your chips, as this can make it difficult to reconstruct the hand later on.