The game of poker can be a lot of fun, but it also takes skill to win. It can be a hard game for beginners to get started with, but with a bit of practice, anyone can improve their skills and win more often.

There are a few different ways to play poker, but most games start with players putting in the same amount of money, or chips, as those before them in turn. This creates a pot and encourages competition. The player with the best hand wins the pot. If there is a tie, the winnings are shared.

If the person in front of you raises, and it’s your turn, you can say “call” to match their bet. This means you will put the same amount of money in the pot as them, so your hand is worth that much. If you want to raise more, you can say “raise.”

A good way to learn the basics of poker is to look at other players and study their betting patterns. For example, you may notice that one player folds early in a hand, while another is a risk-taker and tends to bet high in the first few streets.

It’s important to remember that poker is a game of risk, and the more you bet, the more likely you are to lose. To minimize your risks, you should only gamble with an amount of money you can afford to lose. Also, you should always keep track of your wins and losses so that you can know how well you’re doing.