Poker is a card game played by a group of players in which the aim is to form a winning hand based on the cards dealt. The winning hand claims the pot, which is the total amount of all bets placed during a betting round.

Each player begins with an initial amount of money (depending on the rules of the game) that they place into the pot before the cards are dealt. This is called a forced bet and it comes in the form of antes, blinds, or bring-ins. Once the forced bets are made, players have the option to check, call, or raise. Checking means that the player passes on the opportunity to bet and will wait for another player’s turn, while calling indicates that the player matches the previous player’s bet and is staying in the hand. Raising is when a player places a higher bet than the previous player.

After the bets are placed, each player is dealt two cards. Then, the players must create a winning hand by using these and the community cards on the table. A winning hand must rank high enough to win the pot.

The main strategy is to play your strong value hands aggressively, as this will force weaker hands out of the pot. You can also bluff, although this is a more advanced technique and should be used sparingly. It’s important to read your opponents and learn their tells, as this will help you to anticipate when they have a good or bad hand.