Poker is hugely popular for a lot of reasons: it’s a social game; you can play for fun or real money; and there’s a bit of skill involved. It can also be pretty addictive! But if you’re just starting out, it can be tough to know where to start.

First, you’ll need to understand the basics of the game. Then you can figure out what you need to do to win. But it’s not just about understanding the rules of poker; you also need to develop good instincts. This means playing and watching poker games to learn how other players react. If you can watch a player in action and imagine how you’d react in their position, this will help you build your own instincts.

When you’re learning to play poker, it’s important to start at the lowest stakes. This will allow you to play a lot of hands without risking too much money and it’ll give you the opportunity to improve your skills at a slower pace. You can then move up the stakes once you’re comfortable.

The game of poker is almost always played with poker chips, and each player buys in for a certain amount of money at the beginning of the game. Then each player takes turns betting. To make a bet, you must place the same number of chips into the pot as the player to your left. To raise, you must put in more than the previous player. To fold, you must put no chips in the pot and discard your hand.

Usually after the first betting round is complete, the dealer will deal three cards face up on the table. These are known as the flop. Then the players can bet again, and again. The person with the best five card poker hand wins the pot.

To get the best poker hands, it’s important to understand what cards are in your hand and their value. For example, a straight is five consecutive cards of the same suit. A flush is five consecutive cards of different suits. Two pairs are two sets of cards of the same rank. And a full house is three cards of the same rank and two matching cards of the other suit. If you can create these types of hands, you’re in great shape to win. But you have to be able to conceal your hand well to avoid giving away your strategy. It’s also important to play in position, as this will allow you to control the size of the pot. By doing this, you’ll be able to bluff more effectively and win larger pots when you do have a strong hand.