Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It has a number of variants and rules that are specific to each. You can learn the basics from online courses and tutorials, but to become a professional poker player you need to understand the theory behind it, and this is best done by taking an in-person course at a local school or casino.

The game starts with players making forced bets, either an ante or blind bets (depending on the variant). The dealer then shuffles and deals each player a hand of cards, which are either face-up or down, depending on the variant being played. Then there are rounds of betting where players can call, raise, or fold their hands. The player who has the highest ranked hand when the cards are shown wins the pot – all of the money that has been bet during the hand.

As you play more and more poker you will develop a natural understanding of probabilities and statistics. You will also learn to look beyond your own cards and think about what other players may have, and make moves based on that. This is where the real skill in poker lies, not just playing your own cards but making other players fold with a combination of psychology, probability, and game theory.

Say you have pocket fives and the flop comes A-8-5. This is an excellent flop for your pocket fives because the strength of your hand is hidden and other players will have trouble putting you on it. You should bet hard on this flop to increase the value of your hand.