Poker is a card game where players place chips into the pot (the amount of money bet during a hand) for various strategic reasons. Although poker involves some element of chance, over time winning hands are primarily the result of player decisions that are made on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory.

The first thing to understand about poker is that the game is all about figuring out what your opponents have. In a live game, this is done by studying their physical tells. In an online game, this is done by analyzing their betting and raising habits. Every action you take – whether to fold, call, check or raise – communicates something to your opponent. Sometimes it gives them clues that you have a strong hand, other times it signals weakness.

Position is also important in poker. The earlier your position at the table, the more risk you are taking on each hand. The later your position, the more information you have about what your opponents are doing before it is your turn to act.

You should always try to be last to act if possible. This will allow you to: A) Inflate the pot when you have a strong value hand B) Get more value out of your weak or drawing hands C) Use bluffing more effectively