The Basics of Poker Strategy

Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot and then wager against other players. The player with the highest hand wins the pot. While some luck is involved, the game is primarily skill-based and can be learned by studying game theory and committing to proper bankroll management and game selection. There are also certain physical traits that are beneficial to the game such as having sharp focus and endurance for long sessions of play.

Position is a crucial aspect of winning poker hands. Being in position to act means you can see how your opponents are betting before you and make more accurate readings of their intentions. This allows for more effective bluffing as well as simple and cheap value bets.

It’s important to always try to guess what other players are holding in their hand. This will help you put pressure on them and make it more difficult for them to bluff, or to call your bets with weak hands. This is the essence of poker strategy and one of the best ways to improve your win rate.

To start a hand you must ante something (the amount varies by game). Then, when it’s your turn to act, you can fold, call or raise. Betting is done in a clockwise direction and each player must contribute the same amount to the pot as the player before them. This is called “pot control” and it’s a big part of the game.

Generally, you should only bet when your hand is strong or your opponent shows weakness. A good rule of thumb is to bet a small percentage of your total stack and not exceed 3 times the amount of the previous raiser. If you have a decent hand, you should consider raising in order to get more players into the pot and increase your chances of a good finish.

A hand of three of a kind and a pair is called a full house and is the strongest hand at the table. It beats a straight and a flush.

To make a full house, you must have a three of a kind (the same rank) and a pair (two matching cards). A three of a kind can be of any suit. If there are no pairs in the hand, it is called a straight and the best straight is a four of a kind. You can improve your straight by adding a fifth card to the combination or by removing a card from it.