Poker is a card game played with money (chips) by two or more players. The goal is to have a winning hand, either by having the best one or by making your opponents think you have the best hand so they fold and give up their money.
When playing poker you’re always going to be dealing with an element of luck, but there are certain rules that you can follow to make your chances of winning a lot better. Here are some of the most important ones:
Studying Experienced Players
There’s no substitute for studying the gameplay of experienced players to see what they do and how they do it. If you can spot the mistakes that they make and avoid repeating them, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a force at your own table. Similarly, if you can spot the tactics and strategies that work for them, you’ll be able to incorporate those into your own game too.
Learn the Math
Probably the most important thing that you can do is to study charts so that you know what hands beat what, eg three of a kind beats straight, and you can make informed decisions on how to play your hand. You’ll also need to understand the basic odds of getting a specific card, like spades.
