Poker is a card game where the goal is to win the pot, which is the total sum of all bets made by players during one hand. It is played with a fixed number of cards (usually 6 or 7). There are different forms of poker, but most have the same basic rules.

The dealer deals 2 cards to each player. Then there is a round of betting, which starts with the person to his or her left. If you have a good value in your 2 cards, you would say “stay” or if your cards are bad then you would say “hit”.

After the first round of betting is complete the dealer puts 3 more cards on the table that everyone can use. These are called the flop. Again, there is another round of betting and the player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot.

It is important to understand the different types of poker hands and what they mean. For example, a flush is a poker hand where you have all the same suit. A straight is five consecutive cards of the same suit. A full house is three of a kind and a four of a kind is four of the same rank.

It is also important to look beyond your own cards and think about what other people may have in their hands. This will allow you to make bluffing moves that are more effective and profitable. Over time, you will develop a sense of “bluff equity” and become able to calculate things like EV estimations and combos.