Poker is a game that requires a combination of luck and skill to succeed. There are some fundamental concepts that all players should understand and master. These include understanding the game rules, betting, bluffing and position. A good poker player must also be able to read their opponents and know when to fold their cards.

While it’s true that poker is a game of chance, the majority of winning hands come from skillful bluffing and playing of position. While it may seem easy to bluff, it can be difficult for a beginner to master. One way to improve your bluffing is to practice with an experienced friend or mentor.

The basic objective of the game is to make the highest ranking poker hand at the end of each betting round in order to win the pot, which is the total amount of chips bet by all players on any given deal. There are several different ways to make a poker hand, with the most common being the straight or flush. Straights consist of 5 cards of consecutive rank, while flushes have five unmatched cards of the same suit.

In most poker games, players will place bets into the pot by saying “call” or “raise.” A call means that you’ll put in the same number of chips as the player to your left, while a raise is an increase in the amount of money that you’re willing to put in the pot.