Poker is a game of cards where players place bets into the middle of the table (the pot) and the highest hand wins at the end of each betting round. There are several important rules that all good players should follow.
Position
One of the most important rules in poker is to always be in position. Basically, this means that when betting comes around to you (it happens in a clockwise direction), raise less often and call more hands than your opponents. This will allow you to win more pots and improve your odds of getting the best hands.
Play the player, not the cards
Remember that in poker your hands are only good or bad in relation to what other people have. A pair of kings off the deal may be pretty good, but if someone else has A-A your kings are a big loser 82% of the time!
Learn how to read other players and watch for tells. Tells can be anything from fiddling with chips to wearing a hat, and are a great way to learn about your opponents’ tendencies. If you can pick out their weak hands and push them out of the pot, your own showstopping hands will get paid off more often. And if you’re in a big showdown with a strong opponent, it’s much better to force them out than let your ego get in the way of taking down the big pot!