Poker is a card game where players try to make the best hand based on the cards they have. The highest hand wins the pot at the end of the betting round.
There are a number of ways to win the pot – having a strong value hand, getting an opponent to call your bluff, and pricing all of the worse hands out of the pot. The latter requires that you understand the concept of ranges, which are the entire selection of hands that your opponent could have in a given situation. Advanced players will attempt to figure out their opponent’s range and then adjust their play accordingly. Beginners will simply try to put their opponent on a specific hand and then act out of their gut feeling.
It is also important to remember that poker is a game of context. Your hand is good or bad only in relation to what the other players are holding. For example, if you have pocket kings and the other player has A-A, your kings will lose 82% of the time.
To be a successful poker player you will need to have the mental strength to stick with your plan when things go against you. It is inevitable that you will make mistakes and lose hands that you should have won. However, if you can learn from your mistakes and remain disciplined, poker can be a very profitable game.