Poker is a card game that involves betting and wagering chips to make a hand. The player with the highest hand wins the pot. The most common hands are Straights and Flushes. A Straight is 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A Flush is five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence. A Full House is three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A Pair is two cards of the same rank and another unmatched card.

One of the most important things to remember is that poker is a game of skill, and not just luck. A good player will know how to read the other players at the table and change their strategy based on what they are seeing. This is called reading your opponent and it is a crucial part of the game. A large amount of reading comes not from subtle physical tells, but rather analyzing how a player usually plays.

When you are in a hand, you can either check (match the last player’s bet and stay in) or raise (bet more than the previous player). You should always check when you have a strong enough hand to call, as it will allow you to see the other players’ cards. If you don’t have a strong enough hand to call, you should fold. You can also bluff in poker, although it is considered an advanced technique that should be used sparingly.