Poker is a card game in which players form hands according to the cards they are dealt, with the goal of winning the pot at the end of each betting round. The pot is the sum of all bets placed by the players at a particular table.

There are many different types of poker, but the basics are the same across all games. Each player must place in the pot (representing money) an amount equal to or greater than that of the player who goes before him. A player who makes a bet is said to be “in the pot” or “active.”

To become a better poker player, you must understand how to read other players and their tells. Those tells aren’t just the obvious ones, like fiddling with their chips or wearing a ring, but can also include how they play the hand. Learning to spot these tells can help you read other players’ intentions and determine their hand strength.

As you play more and study other players, your instincts will improve. However, don’t try to apply complicated systems right away. Instead, practice watching other players and imagining how you’d react in their position to develop your own natural instincts. This will make you a much more successful poker player than trying to memorize and apply tricky strategies. You can even keep a journal while studying to help you remember the key concepts and internalize them. For more information on how to study poker, check out this full-color book!