Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The game is a fast-paced and involves betting between the players. Depending on the rules of the game, the initial wager (often called a forced bet) may be in the form of an ante, a blind or a bring-in. A player may choose to call the bet, raise it or drop out of the hand.

Each player is dealt two private hole cards to begin the hand. Five additional community cards are placed face up on the table in subsequent betting intervals, known as the flop, turn and river. A player must use at least three of the community cards to make a poker hand. The best poker hands are a straight (5 cards of consecutive rank) or a flush (3 matching cards of one rank and 2 unmatched cards of another rank).

A key to success in poker is being able to read other players’ tells, including body language, idiosyncrasies and betting behavior. The more you play and watch others, the quicker your instincts will become. This allows you to make better decisions when your luck turns and you have a strong poker hand. When the odds are in your favor, you need to be aggressive and go after your poker pot. Adding aggression to your poker strategy will force weaker hands out and increase your winning percentage. However, you must be careful not to over-aggressive and end up losing your poker pot.