Poker is a game of chance and skill that can be played with 2 to 14 players. The goal is to win the pot, which is the total of all bets in a single hand. This can be accomplished by having the highest ranking poker hand or by raising enough to force everyone out of the pot with a weak one. There is a large amount of psychology involved in poker, as well as reading other players.

The game is played by betting in clockwise order after each card is dealt. Each player can choose to raise, call or fold. Betting is done in increments of a dollar or a percentage of the amount raised by the previous player. The game can be played with different stakes, but we recommend starting at the lowest limits possible to maximize your chances of winning.

Generally speaking, the best hands to play in poker are pairs of aces and higher. Any unsuited low cards should be folded, as they don’t have much strength when facing a strong board. It is also important to pay attention to your opponents’ betting habits. This includes not only subtle physical poker tells, but also their patterns. For instance if someone is calling every time, then they probably have some pretty crappy cards. On the other hand if they are only calling when they have a good hand then they likely have a very solid one. This is a great way to read other players and put yourself in the best position for winning.