Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made during a hand. A player can win the pot by having the highest-ranking poker hand or by bluffing.

In Poker, players are dealt five cards and then make bets on the strength of their hands. When everyone has finished betting, the cards are revealed and the player with the best poker hand wins the pot. A poker game can have any number of players, but it is usually best with fewer than 10. The more players there are at the table, the more difficult it is to control the game and keep the action moving in a timely manner.

To help you get a handle on the rules of Poker, learn about the basic poker hands. They include:

A good rule of thumb is to play your strong value hands aggressively, especially if you are in late position. This will allow you to inflate the size of the pot and get more value out of your strong hands.

It is also important to be observant of your opponents and watch for tells. These are not only the obvious signs like fiddling with chips or wearing a ring, but also the way they play the game and how they bet. For example, a player that normally calls raises in a big way on the river probably has a high pair.