Poker is a card game that requires some element of chance, but also has a significant amount of skill and psychology. The game is typically played with one complete hand being dealt to each player and then betting in a single round, with raising allowed.
There are various variations of poker and the rules vary by game, but the basic principles remain the same. Players must ante something (usually an amount of money, though the exact amount varies from game to game). The dealer then shuffles and cuts the deck, deals each player a set number of cards and then, depending on the game, either a flop or the first of several rounds of betting begins.
After the flop is revealed, the players must create a 5-card poker hand using their two personal cards and the five community cards on the table. During or after the betting rounds, you may be able to draw replacement cards or additional community cards into your hand to improve it.
The key to winning at poker is learning to read the other players and their bet sizes and actions. This is important because good players make fewer mistakes than bad players, and identifying the mistakes of your opponents can help you win more often than not.
For example, if you are EP, you should play very tight and open your range only with strong hands like top pair. You should also consider things like bet sizing (the larger the raise, the tighter you should play), stack sizes and hand strength (a high kicker is better than a low one). If you can narrow down the range of hands that your opponent might have, you can adjust your own accordingly.