Poker is a game played with cards and chips. The chips represent money, and the player with the highest ranked hand wins the pot (all of the bets placed during that deal). Players must buy in with a certain amount of chips at the beginning of each round. This is called the ante. There are also blinds and bring-ins, which are forced bets that occur before the cards are dealt.

When it is your turn to make a bet, you can say “call” or “raise.” Calling means that you will put into the pot at least as many chips as the player before you did. If you are unwilling to do this, you may “fold.” This means that you will not place any chips into the pot and will not participate in that round of betting.

As you play, pay attention to your opponents’ body language and read their tells. This is a critical skill that will help you understand what kind of hands your opponent has, and it will also allow you to make more informed decisions about how much to bet and when to raise or fold. The game also has some unwritten rules of etiquette that players follow to ensure that the game runs smoothly and fairly for all. You should familiarize yourself with these rules so that you don’t run afoul of them in your first few games. Also, it is a good idea to only gamble with money that you can afford to lose.