Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The goal is to win the pot, which is the total amount of bets placed in a hand. The highest hand wins, or players can choose to fold. The rules of poker vary from one game to another, but there are some basic principles that apply to most forms.

Players ante up an amount (the exact amount varies by game), and then each player places chips into the pot when it is their turn. If the player to the right of you raises their bet, you can say “call” to match their bet. You can also call if the player to the left of you raises their bet but doesn’t have a full pair.

If you don’t have a pair, you can try to make a straight or flush by combining the cards in your hand. Three of a kind is 3 matching cards of the same rank, and a flush is 5 cards of consecutive ranks but different suits.

In addition to the strategic elements of the game, poker requires a certain amount of mental toughness. Watch videos of Phil Ivey taking bad beats, for example – he doesn’t let them affect his game or his attitude. It’s important to learn to read your opponents – a good poker player can tell when an opponent is bluffing, and he can also pick up on subtle cues such as a change in the player’s posture.