Poker is a card game in which players place bets before seeing their cards. This creates a pot immediately and encourages competition. A player must also learn the rules of the game and quickly memorize basic charts stating what hands beat what (e.g., a flush beats a straight or two pair).

The dealer shuffles the cards and then deals them to the players one at a time, starting with the player on their left. The players then put in forced bets (called an ante or blind bet). The dealer may reshuffle after each betting round and deal additional cards into the pot.

A good poker player is able to play only strong value hands and make sure they are ahead of their opponents’ calling range. This requires discipline, a strong commitment to playing profitable games, and an ability to avoid emotional or recreational distractions during games.

Another key skill is being in position on the post-flop portion of a hand. Being in position means that you have more opportunity to act last and increase the size of the pot when you hold a strong value hand or exercise pot control with a mediocre or drawing hand. It also gives you a better idea of what your opponents are holding and allows you to exploit their mistakes. This is why it’s important to play tight early position and in the blinds. In addition, you should raise and bet more often in late position than your opponents.