A card game played between two or more players, Poker involves betting with chips (money). The game is not based on luck but on skill and strategy. It is also a social game, where you can make new friends and share laughs with them. It is important to learn to read and analyse your opponents to understand their behaviour. A player must also be mentally tough, especially after a bad beat. It is important to watch videos of world-class players like Phil Ivey to observe their reaction to bad beats, and use these as lessons for your own play.

To win at Poker, you must know when to call, raise, and fold. A good strategy is to play tight, and only raise with strong hands. This will reduce the number of players you are competing against and increase your chances of winning a hand. Bluffing is also an important part of the game, but it is essential to use it wisely, especially as a beginner. It involves making your opponent believe that you have a stronger hand than you actually do, and can be very profitable if used correctly.

A good hand can consist of either 3 of a kind (three cards of the same rank) or 2 pairs (two matching cards of one rank and two unmatched cards). The best hand is the straight, which contains 5 consecutive ranks of cards from the same suit. A flush, on the other hand, contains 5 cards of different suits.