Poker is a card game where players place chips into a pot (the “pot”) to bet against each other. The goal is to make the best five-card hand possible — or convince your opponents that you have a strong hand, even when you don’t. There are many different games of poker, but all share a few common features.

First, you must understand the game’s betting rules. When it is your turn to bet, you must match the amount that the player to your right raised (if he or she raises at all). This is called calling. If you are unsure of the amount to call, ask the person to your right for clarification.

It’s also important to understand how to read a table. The amount of the bet is indicated by the color of the chip. The lowest-valued chips are white, while higher-valued ones are red. Typically, a white chip is worth one unit of the minimum ante or bet, and each color has a specific value. For example, a red chip is worth 10 white chips, while a blue chip is worth 25 white chips.

Once the first round of betting is over, the dealer will put three cards on the table that anyone can use (the “flop”). Everyone still in the hand gets another chance to bet — or not bet at all. If you have a good hand, you should bet aggressively to force weaker hands to fold. If you don’t have a good hand, you can check or raise instead of betting.

A common mistake beginners make is to be too passive when they have draws. This makes them vulnerable to their opponent’s bluffing. Instead, you should start betting at your draws early in the hand. This forces weaker hands to fold and increases the value of your pot.

The final stage of a hand is the showdown. At this point, all the remaining cards are exposed and the player with the highest-ranked poker hand wins the pot. If no one has a high enough hand to win the pot, all remaining players must either call or raise the last player’s bet in order to stay in the pot.

If you are new to the game of poker, it is important to learn the rules and basic strategies before playing with real money. This will help you to improve your poker skills and increase your chances of winning. If you are lucky, you can even win big money!