Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into the pot before each round of betting. Depending on the rules of the specific poker variant being played, one or more players have the privilege or obligation to make the first bet. These initial bets are called antes, blinds, or bring-ins. Players who have placed chips into the pot are active players.

The goal of poker is to form a five-card poker hand, either by having two matching cards in your own hand or by using the community cards on the table. The best hand wins the pot.

There are a number of ways to improve your poker skills, including learning how to read other players. Observe your opponents’ tells, which can include fiddling with their chips or wearing a ring. These can indicate that they have a good hand or are thinking about bluffing.

In addition to observing your opponents, it is important to be able to determine the strength of your own hand. If you have a weak starting hand, you should usually fold. If your hand is strong, you should raise to price all other worse hands out of the pot.

Experienced players also focus on working out the range of hands that their opponents could have. This allows them to predict how likely it is that their opponent will have a hand that beats theirs. This is an important skill because it reduces the chances of making a mistake.