Poker is hugely popular and for good reason – it’s fun, social, you can play it online at home or in bars, there’s a rich element of strategy involved, and you can win money. However, the game can be difficult to pick up and even hard to master. If you’re just starting out, there are many things you need to keep in mind, from learning the basic rules to understanding the different poker variants and hand rankings. Luckily, we’ve gathered together some of the top tips to get you started.

A few notes on the rules of poker: First, players must place a forced bet, called an ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to the players one at a time, starting with the player on their left. Depending on the game, these cards may be dealt face up or down. Then, betting intervals, or rounds, begin. During each round, players have the option to call, raise, or fold. Players can also discard cards from their hands, which can change the strength of their final hand.

During the “flop” phase, the three community cards are revealed. This is where your luck can really turn if you have a strong hand. Say you have pocket fives and the flop is A-8-5. People are going to think that you have a very strong hand with those two fives and the board, so they’ll probably be bluffing and raising. However, if you have two kings and the flop is Ks-Kd-Kc-4c-8h, then you’ll have a higher chance of winning.

Once the flop has happened, the second betting round begins and players can check, bet, raise, or fold. This is where your position at the table will play a big role in your poker strategy, so make sure you understand the different positions and how to read them.

The third betting round occurs when the fourth community card is revealed, and again, players can bet, raise, or fold. If no one has a pair or better, then high cards break the tie.

After the third and fourth rounds, a showdown is announced. This is when all the remaining players reveal their cards, and the player with the highest hand wins the pot.

While a lot of the initial forced bets are placed by the dealer, players can also choose to put their own chips into the pot if they believe it has positive expected value or they’re trying to bluff other players for various strategic reasons. This is where the skill and psychology of poker come into play, and it’s important to remember that while poker is a game of chance, bluffing can be an effective way to win. Just be careful to not overdo it with bluffing, or you’ll be labeled a sucker in the eyes of other players.