Poker is a card game in which players place bets on the strength of their cards. The player with the highest ranked hand wins the pot – all the money that has been bet during the hand. The game is typically played with a minimum of two players but may be played with as many as 10 players.
Each player must put an initial amount of money (known as the ante) into the pot in order to be dealt cards. Once the cards are dealt the betting begins, with each player having the choice of calling, raising or folding. A player who calls or raises must match the previous bet or else they must fold their cards.
When you raise a bet you are essentially telling the other players that you believe your hand is the best in the current situation and that you have the ability to beat theirs. This is called bluffing and it is a fundamental part of the game.
As you play poker you will start to develop an intuition for things like frequencies and EV estimation. You will also begin to see patterns in the way other people play which can help you make good decisions. You will also be able to think about what cards your opponent has and make decisions about their strength based on this knowledge. As you learn to do this you will become a much more valuable player.