Poker is a card game in which you compete with other players to create the best poker hand. You are dealt five cards and you try to make the best combination of them.

Poker is an extremely popular game, with a wide range of different forms and variations. However, there are a few basic principles that apply to all forms of poker.

Play the Player, Not Your Cards – One of the most common poker phrases is “play the player not your cards”. This is important because while you may have a good hand, it’s all relative to what other players have at the table.

Read your opponent’s patterns – Poker is an extremely situational game and you need to pay attention to your opponents. It’s not difficult to spot tells like scratching your nose or shaking a hand when someone is nervous.

Bluff & raise the pot – A common poker strategy is to bluff your way into a winning hand. This can be done by raising your bets when you think you have a strong hand and by betting smaller amounts when you don’t.

Know your hand – A good poker player knows his hand very well. This includes the strength of his suited connectors (such as flushes and straights), and a good knowledge of ace-king, king-queen, queen-jack, ten-high, ten-low, and jack-high.

The dealer also makes mistakes from time to time, but they are not responsible for the outcomes of your hand. If you see something that is wrong, it’s very important to politely ask them to fix it.