Poker is a game where players do not know the cards their opponents have and aim to make the best five card hand with their own two cards and the community cards. A player can bet if they wish with their chips (money to wager), and the winner is the person who makes the best five card hand or convinces the others that they have the best one.

The first step in learning to play poker is understanding the rules of the game and how it works. Then it is important to keep detailed records of your wins and losses in order to understand your performance and make informed decisions about where to increase or decrease the stakes.

When playing poker, there are many terms that you will need to know to understand how the game is played. These include ante, call, and raise. An ante is the small amount of money that each player puts into the pot before they see their cards. A call is when a player calls the previous active player’s bet. A raise is when a player increases the size of their bet.

It is also helpful to learn how to read poker charts so you can understand what hands beat which. For example, a flush is 5 consecutive cards of the same suit while a straight is five consecutive cards that skip around in rank but are not from the same suit. A three of a kind is three cards of the same rank and a pair is two matching cards of any rank with one unmatched card.