Poker is a card game played by two or more players. In the betting round each player must either call the bet by putting in chips equal to or greater than the amount of the bet, raise by putting in more than the amount of the bet, or drop by not calling and forfeiting all their remaining chips. The winner is the player with the strongest hand at the end of the round. This can be achieved by having the best hand, bluffing, or both. The stronger the hand, the more money you can win, so having a strong one is important.
There are many different poker variants, but some basic principles apply across the board. For example, a Royal Flush is five cards of the same suit (ranking from ace to ten) in consecutive order. A Full House is three matching cards of one rank plus two matching cards of another rank. A Straight is five cards in numerical order, but not in consecutive suits. A Flush contains any five cards of the same suit, but not in consecutive order.
You should start at a low level when learning how to play poker, so that you can practice your skills without risking a lot of money. Then, when you feel more comfortable, you can move up the stakes to see if you’re capable of beating better players. It’s also a good idea to watch videos of great players like Phil Ivey to learn from their mistakes.