Poker is a card game that involves betting and the raising and folding of hands. It has hundreds of variations but the basic rules are the same for all of them. Players must put in a forced bet (called the blind or ante) before they can be dealt a hand. After this they are dealt cards which they keep hidden from their opponents. There are a few different types of hands but the ones that tend to win are high pairs, three of a kind, straights and flushes. In ties the highest card wins.
When you have a good hand it is important not to get attached to it. You should always be ready to fold if your opponent has a better one. Likewise, it is important not to call every bet because this can lead to you losing more money than you should.
The most important thing to remember is that your table position has a huge impact on your strategy. The player who acts last has a lot of information about their opponent’s holding and can make much more educated bets. There are also many factors that suggest what type of hand an opponent may have which you can use to help you understand their range. For example, the time it takes for an opponent to act, the sizing of their raise and whether or not they are short stacked can give you clues as to what kind of hand they might be holding.