The goal of poker is to form the best hand based on card rankings in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. The pot consists of all bets placed by the players during that round. You can win the pot if you have the highest-ranking hand when the last cards are revealed or if you place a bet that other players call, leading them to fold their cards.

You can choose to check (match the previous player’s raise and stay in the hand) or raise if you want to increase your bet amount. You can also fold if you don’t want to play the hand or if your cards are worse than those of other players.

Learn how to read other players’ tells, including their eye movements, idiosyncrasies, hand gestures, and betting behavior. Conservative players tend to fold early in a hand, while aggressive players are risk-takers and can often be bluffed into folding their cards. Identifying these patterns will help you read other players better, as well as make it easier to determine when you have a strong hand and should bet big or when you might need to bluff to keep the other players at bay. Observing experienced players is another great way to build quick instincts and develop a strategy that works for you.