The main objective of poker is to form the best possible hand based on the cards you have, in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. The pot is the total of all bets placed by everyone at the table. If you make a high-ranked hand and other players fold, you can take the whole pot without having to show your cards.

One of the most important things that beginners have to learn is patience. They are going to lose a lot of hands when they start out, but that is just part of the process. It is also a good idea to watch other players and look for tells, which are clues that can give away someone’s hand strength. This can be anything from a nervous habit, such as fiddling with chips or wearing a ring, to the way they play their cards.

A big part of poker is deception. If your opponents know what you are holding, you won’t get paid off on your big hands and your bluffs won’t be effective. That is why it is so important to mix up your playing style and keep your opponents guessing.

Finally, if you want to put more money into the pot than the last player did, say “raise.” This means that you are raising the amount that you are betting. If you are not happy with the way that your hand is playing and want to give up, say “fold.” You can do this at any time in the game.