Poker is a card game played by 2 or more players and involves strategy, skill, psychology, and a little bit of luck. It can be played casually with friends or competitively in tournaments. The goal is to win chips or money by forming the best hand. There are many different types of poker, but the most popular games share some basic rules. These include betting, evaluating a hand, and making decisions based on incomplete information.

Once everyone has two hole cards, there is a round of betting. The player to the left of the dealer puts in a mandatory bet called blinds, and then each player has the option to call (match or raise) the previous players’ bets. If a player calls, they will stay in the hand and can discard and replace cards to improve their chances of winning.

A big mistake that new players make is to limp, which means placing a low bet and staying in the hand even when they have bad cards. Top players, however, are quick to raise when they have strong hands, which builds the pot and chases off other players waiting for a draw that could beat theirs.

Another important skill is reading other players’ bet sizes. Bet sizing is a complex process that takes into account previous action, the number of players left in a hand, stack depth, and more. Mastering this skill can take a lot of practice. In addition, you can learn to identify bluffing tells by watching a player’s body language and other small details.