Whether you’re an experienced card sharp or a first-timer who wants to learn the rules of poker, your goal is to win as many chips from other players as possible and lose as few as possible with poor hands. In order to maximize your chances of winning, you must bet with strong cards and raise when you think your opponents will fold their hand.

The game is played with a standard pack of 52 cards (with some variant games using multiple packs and adding a few wild cards, such as jokers) ranked from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Each player must also have a pair or higher of distinct cards.

Each round of poker betting is called a “round.” The action starts when a player makes an opening bet by putting chips into the pot. Each player to the left can choose to call that bet by putting in the same number of chips, or they can “raise” it, putting in more than the previous player did. Alternatively, they can simply “check,” meaning that they’ll only put in enough to stay in the hand.

When the flop comes, each player checks again and the dealer then puts down three more cards. Depending on how the flop fits into your poker hand, you may want to hit, stay or double up. Saying hit means you’re doubling your stake, staying means you’re staying in the hand and double-up is when you are trying to make a stronger poker hand by adding a third card to your existing pair.

You can also use your cards to break ties. If both hands have a pair, the one with the highest kicker wins the tie. If you’re still tied, they look at the next best pair and so on until someone has a pair or better.

Observe experienced players to build your instincts and improve your play. Observing how experienced players react to certain situations will help you learn how to make quick decisions in the heat of the moment. If you see an experienced player making a good move, try to understand why they did it.

If you’re playing poker for fun, play with friends or a group of people who know the rules well. This way, you can get the hang of the game before you play with strangers. If you’re new to poker, it’s also a good idea to ask more experienced players for help before you start playing with them. This way, you can avoid embarrassing mistakes and have more fun.