The game of poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot to make bets. If a player has the highest hand when betting ends, they win the pot. This is called “showdown.”

In between hands, players have the option to check, meaning to pass on betting, or to raise. When raising, a player must put in an amount equal to or greater than the player before them. If a player has a strong hand, they should raise quickly to build the pot and scare away other players who could beat them with a lucky flop.

A good player also knows when to fold. It’s easy to lose a lot of money by calling every single bet on a weak hand, hoping that the river will give you the one diamond you need for a straight or the other two that would make your flush. This strategy is expensive and it wastes your time.

Beginners should learn to observe other players and look for “tells.” These are not only nervous habits, like fiddling with their chips or adjusting their rings. They can also include how a player moves their body, or how they use their cards to make certain types of hands. Learning to read these tells will help beginners to avoid making costly mistakes in the early stages of their poker career.