Poker is a card game that involves betting on the strength of your cards against those of your opponents. If your hand is the best, you win; if your opponents are scared of your bet and surrender, you also win (by bluffing). While luck does play a role in poker, it’s skill that leads to players making money over the months and years they play the game.

While there is a lot to learn about poker, the biggest key for beginners is learning how to read other players. While there are many different ways to do this, the basics involve observing subtle physical tells and patterns. These are called poker “reads” and can help you determine the strength of your opponent’s hands.

The first thing you need to do is understand how poker hands are ranked. A straight is five cards that are consecutive in rank, and one suits, while a flush is five cards of the same suit. A pair is two matching cards, while a three of a kind is 3 matching cards, and 2 unmatched cards make a full house.

Another important aspect of poker is the importance of position. Your position at the table will determine what hands you can raise and when. For example, you should never raise small pocket pairs in early position as this will be easy for other players to put on you. However, these same hands become very strong raises if you are in late position after the flop.