Poker is a card game where the winner is the player with the best hand. It’s a game of chance, but it’s also one that relies on skill and knowledge about how your opponents play. The best way to learn poker is to play often, supplementing that playing time with reading and training sessions. Using whatever learning methods work for you is important, because there’s no such thing as an overnight success in poker – becoming good takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

Before cards are dealt, players must put a small amount of money into the pot, called an ante or blinds (or bring-ins). These mandatory bets create a betting pool that players can use to try to improve their hands.

After the antes and blinds are placed, 2 cards are dealt to each player. These are the starting cards, or hole cards. Then there is a round of betting, started by the player to the left of the button.

You can check, call, or raise your bet as the action gets around to you. If you raise a bet, the other players must match it. You can also fold your hand. If you have a strong hand, raising can force weaker hands out of the pot and give your bet more value. If you don’t have a strong hand, you can fold your cards into the dealer face-down. If you have no hand, the dealer wins the pot.