Poker is a card game where you compete against other players for a pot of money. It’s a fast-paced game that involves betting, raising, calling, folding, and reading other players to determine their hand. It is a skill that requires a mix of luck, psychology, and game theory. There are many different variants of poker, and each has its own rules and strategy.

There are some key concepts in poker that can help you improve your chances of winning. For instance, it’s important to understand the concept of ranges. While new players try to put an opponent on a specific hand, more experienced players will work out the range of hands that the opponent could have. This gives them an advantage because they can force weaker hands to fold by betting more aggressively.

Another important concept is knowing when to check. If you have a bad hand, it’s not worth the risk to keep throwing money at it. You’ll lose a lot of money by calling and hoping that you get the card you need to make your hand better. That’s a lot of money to spend on a single hand, and it adds up quickly.