Poker is a card game played between two or more players. It is a card game that involves betting, and requires some skill and psychology. It is a good idea to play poker with friends or at least people that know the rules well. It is also a good idea to start at low stakes, because you can learn the game without spending too much money.
Each player puts in a small amount of chips to start the game. This is called “buying in”. Once everyone has a sufficient number of chips, the betting begins. During each betting interval, or “street,” players can either call (put in the same number of chips as the person to their left), raise, or drop (“fold”).
A hand is won by a player with the highest poker combination. The best poker hands are known as straights and flushes. In the case of ties, the high card wins.
One common mistake of beginner poker players is to assume that folding a hand means losing. This is not necessarily true, especially if the cards on the table are suited to winning hands. It is better to save your chips and try again later than to risk all of your money on a bad hand.
In late position, you can often manipulate the pot on later betting streets by raising re-raises with weak hands. However, you must keep in mind that there is a risk involved in doing this, and the aggressive players can take advantage of you.