In poker, players place chips into a pot (representing money) to make a bet. They can check (pass on betting), call (place a bet equal to the one made by the player before them) or raise (betted more than the previous player). If they have the best hand, they win the pot.

A good poker strategy involves learning to read the tells of other players. This includes their body language, eye movements, idiosyncrasies and betting behavior. A player who suddenly calls and raises may be hiding a strong hand. Watch videos of top pros such as Phil Ivey to learn about their tells.

Another key part of a good poker strategy is being mentally tough. Losses should not crush your confidence, and wins should not get you too excited. Watch videos on YouTube of Phil Ivey taking bad beats and see how he handles it. This mental toughness is what separates the great players from the mediocre ones.

Poker is a game of deception, and the better you are at fooling your opponents into thinking you have a stronger hand than you actually do, the more likely you are to win. A good poker strategy also includes bluffing.

A poker hand is a combination of cards that, when taken together, are worth more than their individual values. A full house contains three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A flush is 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A straight is 5 cards of consecutive ranks, but different suits. A high card is used to break ties.