The best poker players have a few skills beyond knowing how to play their hand. These include discipline and the ability to learn from mistakes. They also commit to smart game selection, choosing games that allow them to win enough money to cover their losses. In addition, they must be able to read other players’ tells and make the correct calls.
New poker players often have tunnel vision when it comes to their own hands, but they can benefit from taking a more holistic view of the game by understanding their opponent’s hand ranges. This will allow them to see a full range of possible holdings on the board, which can help them figure out how much value their bets have.
For example, if a player raises after you call the last bet and they don’t have a strong enough hand to continue, it may be time to fold. If the player has a strong enough hand to continue, however, raising is usually the better choice. Doing so will force weaker hands to fold and increase the overall pot size. It’s also a good idea to shuffle the cards before betting again. This will prevent players from being able to “cut” chips from the kitty. These chips belong to all the players and are used to pay for new decks of cards, food, drinks, etc.