Poker is a game of chance, but it can also involve a lot of skill. Many professional players have a strong sense of math and they often make very calculated decisions.

When you first start playing poker, it is a good idea to play conservatively. This way you won’t lose as much money and your opponents will have a harder time figuring out your hand strength. The more experienced you become, the easier it is to read others and guess what their hands might be.

Depending on the poker variant being played, one or more players must put in forced bets (called blind bets) before the dealer shuffles and deals cards to each player. Once everyone has 2 hole cards, the betting round begins.

After the first betting round is over, 3 more cards are dealt face up on the board that everyone can use. This is called the flop.

Then there is another betting round and finally the last card is dealt face up. This is called the turn. Once the last betting round is over, all players reveal their hands and whoever has the best 5 card poker hand wins! This is why it’s important to know your hand strength and the odds of making a winning poker hand. This is why we advise new players to only play high pairs and good suited cards (aces, kings, queens, jacks, or tens) until they get comfortable with the game.