Poker is a game of cards, where the goal is to form the best hand in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. The pot is the total of all bets placed during the hand. A good poker player is able to maximize the value of their strong hands by raising their opponents and forcing them into making bad decisions. A good poker player also knows when to bluff and when to fold.
Each player receives two cards and then, depending on the poker variant being played, players will either bet or check. If the dealer has blackjack, the pot goes to the dealer. Otherwise, the person to the left of the active player begins by revealing their card. If their card is a higher value than the one that was revealed before them, they say stay. Otherwise, they say hit.
In addition to focusing on the strength of their own hand, a good poker player thinks about their opponent’s hand. This is called ranges, and it involves figuring out the range of possible hands that an opponent could have and estimating how likely they are to call your bets.
While new players tend to try and put an opponent on a particular hand, experienced players will often work out their opponent’s entire range of potential hands. This is an extremely important skill that will make your bluffs much more effective, as well as allow you to get maximum value out of your strong hands by pricing all the worse ones out of the pot.