Poker is a game of chance, but it is also a game of strategy. The game requires players to make decisions based on probability, psychology and game theory. In the long run this will result in players making money. However, there are many short term pitfalls in the game that can lead to a player losing a lot of their money. The main reason for this is lack of a tested and trusted strategy.

Poker can be a very fun game and is a great way to relax with friends or family. In order to get the most out of poker though you need to understand the basic rules of the game. This is why this article will take you through the basics of poker and how to play it well.

The first thing that you should know is that you should always fold weak hands. This may seem obvious, but it is one of the biggest mistakes that beginner players make. They are afraid to fold because they think that they have a good hand, but this is almost never the case. It is better to fold a weak hand than to risk your entire stack on a bad one.

The game of poker involves a betting round, where each player puts up an amount of chips called the Ante. Once this is done a dealer deals four cards to each player and the betting begins. After the first betting round there is a second one where the players can check, raise or fold their hands. In the third round, known as the Turn, an additional community card is added to the table. After the final betting round, called the River, all the cards are revealed and the player with the highest ranked hand wins the pot.