Poker is a card game where players put an initial amount of money into the pot (amount varies by game) to get dealt cards. After the cards are dealt, players bet into the pot in clockwise order. The highest hand wins the pot. In some games, a player may also have to place a forced bet called an ante.

Once betting gets around to you, you can either call the bet or raise it. A raised bet is a good way to force weak hands out of the pot, but only if your hand is strong enough to justify it.

A lot of people get hung up on the fact that poker is mostly luck, but if you want to win at poker, you need to learn how to play your hands correctly. You can do this by studying the cards other players are holding, and learning how to read their body language and other non-verbal cues.

You can also find a wealth of information by observing experienced players and thinking about how you would react in their situation. But don’t forget that every poker game is different, and you need to develop your own instincts in order to be successful.