Poker is a card game in which players place bets into a pot. A player may choose to “call” (put chips into the pot equal to or greater than a previous caller’s) or fold. The highest hand wins the pot.
In addition to skill, poker requires mental toughness. It’s not uncommon for a pro player to suffer a bad beat and still remain calm and focused. Watch videos of Phil Ivey taking bad beats to see this in action. Seeing how he doesn’t get upset helps to develop the same mentality in your own play.
The first round of betting begins after each player receives two cards face down. The player to the left of the dealer places a mandatory bet (called the blinds) into the pot. Then, the remaining players can either call the bet or fold.
There are many different types of hands in poker. The most common ones are two pairs, three of a kind, a flush, and a straight. The high card breaks ties.
Advanced players study their opponents’ range of hands and make adjustments based on factors like position (EP-first position generally calls with only strong hands, MP a few more speculative hands, and FT a wider range), bet sizes (the larger the raise, the tighter you should play), and stack size (when short stacked, prioritize high card strength).