Poker is a card game that combines chance with strategy to form a winning hand. There are many different variants of the game, but there are some fundamental rules that all poker players should know.

A poker hand is a combination of five cards that can be either high or low. A high hand beats a low one, and vice versa. There are three basic poker hands: pair, flush and straight.

The highest hand wins the pot. The next highest hand breaks ties, and so on.

If you have a draw, you need to decide whether the pot odds and potential returns will make it worth your while to call a bet. If you’re not happy with the pot odds and the return isn’t enough to make it worthwhile, fold.

New poker players often get tunnel vision and start to think about their own hand instead of the countless possible hands their opponents could have. That can cause them to be indecisive and miss opportunities.

It’s important to study your opponent’s behavior and understand what drives their decisions. It can help you make better judgments in the future.

Pay attention to how your opponent bets pre-flop, and bet accordingly. That way, you won’t be stuck with a weak hand that can’t be broken by the flop or river.

Another mistake that many beginner poker players make is to play weak hands too aggressively. This can lead to a loss when your opponents bet more aggressively than you and beat you down.

To combat this, be as assertive as possible. Make them pay to see a low card or a high card that they don’t have, and you’ll win more often than you lose.

The flop will make a trashy hand into a monster in no time, so don’t be afraid to bet more aggressively. It’s also important to be aware of your table position so you can make the most informed decision possible.

The first thing to do when learning how to play poker is to study charts. These charts will show you what hands beat what, so you can make the best decisions possible. It’s also a good idea to read books and blogs on the subject, which will help you learn more about the game.