The aim of poker is to use your cards and those of the other players to make the best five-card hand. You must place a certain amount of chips into the pot before you can call for a showdown, and your bets can be raised or lowered in response to other players’ actions. It’s worth practicing a few hands and watching other players play to develop quick instincts. Observe how experienced players react to their hands and imagine how you’d behave in the same situation to build your own strategy.

The game begins with a round of betting, called the preflop. This is initiated by 2 mandatory bets, called blinds, placed into the pot by the players to the left of the dealer. This creates a pot of money and gives everyone an incentive to play. Once the preflop is over the dealer puts down 3 community cards on the table that anyone can use, this is called the flop.

After the flop betting, one player (as designated by the rules of the poker variant being played) must place chips into the pot equal to or higher than the total bet of the player who bet before him. This is known as calling a bet.

While playing, try to guess what other players are holding when they make a bet. This can help you narrow down their possible hands, making it easier to make smart bets. For example, if the flop is A-2-6 and a player bets large, you can assume they’re probably holding a pair of 2. If you have an educated guess then this will help you make more intelligent calls during a hand.