Poker is a card game played by two or more players. Each player places an amount of money into the pot (the amount varies by game). Once there is enough money in the pot to cover all bets, each player is dealt 2 cards face down. Then 3 more cards are dealt to the table, these are called community cards. Each player aims to make the best 5 card hand from these community cards and their own two cards. The player with the highest ranked hand wins the pot/all bets.
One of the most important things to remember when playing poker is that your opponents will make mistakes. And while it might hurt your ego to see them make bad calls, you should remember that these mistakes are what makes the game profitable in the first place. So try not to let them get to you too much and be thankful for the times they catch your two-outer on the river and crack your Aces.
The key to winning at Poker is betting. This means raising the price on your strong value hands to force weaker hands out and raise the value of your pot. Another crucial aspect of the game is bluffing, however this is often a risky proposition and should only be used infrequently. Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that you are only as good as the poker players around you. So don’t be afraid to sit at tables with stronger players and learn from them.
