Poker is a card game that can be played by two or more players. The objective is to make a winning hand using the cards you are dealt by betting on each round. The game has many variants, but all involve placing an ante and betting at least once. Some games also require a blind bet, which replaces or is in addition to the ante.

Before the first betting round begins, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals each player 2 cards face down. After the initial dealing, each player places an ante, and betting continues in a clockwise direction. The first player to place a bet may say “call” or “check,” depending on the game.

Then the remaining players reveal their hands one at a time. The player to the left of the dealer starts this process, and each player must make a decision to stay in or fold. Generally, a player’s hand is valued higher if it contains more cards of the same rank. Other types of hands include a straight, a flush, and three of a kind.

To become a better poker player, study the rules and learn the basic hand rankings. Once you’ve mastered these basics, start working on your preflop strategy by studying how to play the cut-off and under-the-gun positions. Also, spend some time observing how experienced players play to learn their tactics. Watching how they react to certain situations can help you build quick instincts.