Poker is a card game where you compete with other players for an amount of money or chips. It’s a popular game for players of all levels, from novices to professionals.

The game starts with each player placing a small bet called an ante. Once everyone has their ante, the dealer will deal two cards to each player.

When the cards are dealt, each player must decide whether to bet in the round or not. They can choose to call, which means they put in the same number of chips as the player to their left; raise, which means they add more than the previous bet; or fold, which means they put no chips into the pot, discard their hand, and leave the betting to the next round.

You can also choose to bluff, which is when you bet a hand that you think your opponent doesn’t have. It’s a good idea to bluff more often than you would think, but it is important to watch out for sandbagging.

Having a strong hand isn’t the most important thing when you play poker, but it’s still an essential part of the game. You need to have a strong hand if you’re going to make a profit, but you also need to be able to beat weak hands and get people to fold.

If you’re a beginner, you might find it tempting to limp into a pot with a weak hand, thinking that you’ll get the other players to call. But this isn’t always the right move. Instead, you should usually be folding or raising your hand.