Poker is a card game played between two or more players and is one of the few games where skill is significantly required to win. While chance is involved in each hand, over time the application of skill will eliminate much of the variance of luck.
Before the cards are dealt, 2 mandatory bets called blinds are put into the pot by players to the left of the dealer. These are usually in the form of chips (representing money). Depending on the rules of the game, the player to the left of the button, also known as the under-the-gun position, is first to act on his or her hand.
After the first round of betting, a 3rd card is dealt face up. There is another round of betting. Then a final card is dealt face up – this is called the turn. The best five card hand wins the pot.
In addition to knowing the rules of poker, you need to read other players and learn their tells. This means studying their eye movements, idiosyncrasies, hand gestures and betting behavior.
You also need to build your comfort with risk-taking. This means taking risks in lower-stakes situations and learning from the mistakes you make. As your comfort level increases, you can gradually take larger risks in higher-stakes situations.