Poker is a card game played between two or more players. Each player places a wager before being dealt two cards face down. There is then a round of betting where each player can raise or fold depending on their hand. The highest hand wins the pot.
The first step to improving your poker game is learning the rules and hand rankings. You should also familiarize yourself with betting rounds and the structure of the game. There are many great resources online and in books on poker. Once you have a firm understanding of the rules it is time to practice your strategy.
As you play more and more hands you will find that your intuition about frequencies and EV estimation will become second nature. You will also learn to read other players and watch for tells. A good tell is not only a physical cue such as fidgeting or wearing a suit, but also the way a player acts during a hand. A player who calls a bet from the person to his right may have a great hand, or he may just be trying to steal their blind bets.
Another important skill to develop is understanding your position at the table. If the ‘action’ (the order of bets) comes to you first, then you are in Early Position. If it goes to you last, then you are in Late Position. If you are in Middle Position then you have an advantage because your opponents will be less likely to call your bets and you can often steal their blind bets with a cheeky raise.