Poker is a card game that is played between two or more players. Each player places an ante into the pot before they see their cards and then makes bets, either raising them or calling them. The player who has the highest hand wins the pot. The game can be played with any number of people but the ideal number is six or seven.
When a player puts in a bet, the players to his or her left must either call it by putting in the same amount of chips into the pot as the bet (called “calling”), raise it by putting in more than that amount of chips into the pot (called “raising”), or drop out (“folding”). This forces players to put money into the pot before they even see their cards and creates competition.
The rules of poker are similar across all forms of the game. There are, however, variations in the way the game is played and how many cards each player receives.
Learn the basic rules and practice your game. When you’re ready to play for real money, start with a bankroll that you can comfortably lose. Track your winnings and losses so you can see how much you’re actually making or losing.
The first step to becoming a better poker player is to make a lot of mistakes. Bluff a lot, call light a lot, and do things that you know you should not do. Every mistake you make is a brick in the foundation of the knowledge that you’ll build over years of playing.