Poker is a card game played with two or more players and involves betting between rounds. The best hand wins. There are many different types of poker games, some with more cards than others and some with fewer, but all have the same basic rules.
To play the game, players place a mandatory bet into a pot called the blinds prior to each round of betting. Then the dealer deals each player two cards face down, called hole cards. Then the community cards are dealt in stages, first three cards called the flop, then one additional card known as the turn, and finally another single card called the river. A player may call, raise or fold during each round of betting.
If a player has a strong opening hand, such as a pair of Aces or Kings, it is a good idea to bet big. This will put other players on notice that you are a serious contender and may cause them to raise their own bets accordingly.
Reading other players is crucial to being a good poker player. Learn their tells (eye movements, idiosyncrasies, hand gestures etc). A player who frequently calls and then suddenly makes a huge raise, for example, could be holding an incredible hand! Similarly, if someone checks frequently but then makes a big raise, they might be holding a high pair. Using these subtle cues to read other players can improve your own game significantly.