Poker is a game of chance, but there is also skill involved. To win the pot, you need to know how to read the other players and change your strategy based on what they are doing. It’s also about knowing the rules of poker, including how to deal, bet and raise. You’ll also need to learn about tells, which are unconscious habits that reveal information to other players. These can be anything from a gesture to a body language shift.

To play poker, you first place an ante bet, which is an initial amount of money placed into the pot by each player. You then receive 2 cards and a round of betting begins. Then, another card is dealt face up and there is another round of betting.

The highest-ranking hand is a royal flush, which consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit. A straight contains 5 consecutive cards of the same suit (such as a 4 of clubs, 6 of hearts, and 8 of diamonds). Three of a kind consists of 3 matching cards of one rank. Two pair consists of 2 matching cards of one rank plus 2 unmatched cards. And a full house consists of 3 matching cards of one rank and 2 matching cards of another rank. If your opponent is betting aggressively, then he or she likely has a strong poker hand. This will motivate you to step up your aggression and go after the pot!