Poker is a game of chance, but it can also be very skillful. The key is to know the odds of getting a certain card at any point during a hand. This can help you determine the strength of your opponents’ hands and adjust your own bets accordingly.

Each player puts in two chips before seeing their cards (a small blind and a big blind). Then each player has the option to call, raise or fold. If you say raise, you add more money to the betting pot. You can also say “stay” if you believe your hand is strong enough to stay in the game.

When the flop, turn and river come in, you want to bet aggressively to make players think twice about calling your bets with weak hands. The worst thing you can do is play your hand passively and let someone else bluff you out of the game with their low cards.

When you have a good hand, it’s important to be patient and not get too attached to it. You can be dealt a pocket king and still lose to a flush on the flop or straight on the turn. That’s why it’s so important to learn how to read the other players’ betting patterns. Watch the experienced players around you to develop your instincts. This will help you build a better strategy quickly.