Poker is one of the oldest and most popular card games, and it requires skill and strategy to win. Players use a deck of cards and chips to play the game, and winning is determined by having the best five-card hand.

How to play poker

The basics of poker are fairly simple: each betting interval begins with a player placing chips into the pot. Those chips are called a “buy-in.” A player can either “call” that bet, by putting the same number of chips into the pot; or “raise,” by putting more than the amount of the biggest raise; or “fold,” which is equivalent to putting no chips into the pot.

Using bet sizes to your advantage

Bet sizing is an important skill for poker players, and it can take time to master. It involves assessing previous action, stack depth, pot odds and more to decide how much to bet.

Reading your opponents

Developing the ability to read other players is not hard, but it’s important to know what specific tells to look for in others. You can do this by tracking mood shifts, eye movements and other details.

Avoid tables with strong players

You should always try to avoid playing at a table with strong players, and this is especially true when you’re learning poker strategy. They’ll often be willing to teach you a lot, but they are also likely to be a huge drain on your bankroll in the long run.