Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It involves betting with chips, called “poker chips” or “bring-ins.” Depending on the rules, each player must place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. This is called a forced bet and comes in three forms: the ante, the blind, or the bring-in.

A player’s success in poker is largely dependent on luck, but good skill can greatly outweigh bad luck. A key aspect of this is the ability to make decisions under pressure, even when you don’t have all the facts at your disposal.

Playing poker teaches you how to make these decisions, by learning to read your opponents’ body language, their betting patterns, and other subtle tells. You also learn to calculate odds on the fly and decide whether it makes sense to call, raise, or fold given the situation.

A successful poker player is also able to handle failure, and not throw a fit or chastise the dealer when they lose a big hand. This is a great life skill to have, and can be applied in many situations that require resilience. Poker is also a great way to improve your emotional control, and teach you how to manage frustration. Both of these skills are very important in high-pressure situations, such as entrepreneurship and sports.