Poker is a card game played by two or more players and involves betting between them. The objective is to form a winning poker hand based on the ranking of cards, usually by betting a fixed amount of money in each round (the pot). The player who places the most chips in the pot at the end of a betting round wins the pot. There can be a single main pot and multiple side pots, each containing different amounts of money.
The best poker players are able to read their opponents and predict what they will do. This is called reading tells and includes things like fidgeting with their chips or putting on a stern face. It is also important to be able to fold when the odds are against you. The best way to improve your reading skills is to practice by observing experienced players.
Beginners should play relatively tight in the beginning and avoid playing crazy hands. This will keep them out of trouble and make it easier for them to win big. They should also learn to use free graphs online that show the top 20% of hands in a six-player game and 15% in a ten-player game.
In poker, each player has the right and obligation to place chips into the pot in the order determined by the rules of the game. This means that the first player must call any bets placed by the active players before him. If he wishes to raise the stake he must match or raise that of the last player to remain an active player in the pot.