Poker is a card game that involves betting and a lot of psychology. It is also a game of luck but when you have to make decisions about whether or not to call bets there is a lot of skill involved.

The game is played from a standard pack of 52 cards (although some games add jokers or other wild cards). There are four suits but only the top ranking card of each suit wins. The highest rank is Ace, followed by King, Queen, Jack and then the rest of the cards in sequence. There are many types of poker hands including Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House and High Card. A high card breaks ties if no other hand is available.

It is important to understand your opponents and read their actions. This can be done by paying attention to subtle physical poker tells such as scratching your nose or playing nervously with your chips but is often better accomplished by simply observing their patterns. Players who raise all the time are generally betting with fairly strong hands while players who fold their hands all the time usually have weak ones.

When your turn comes to place a bet you can say “call” which means to match the last player’s bet or raise it. This will put you into the pot and allow you to play your hand. You can also check (which means to not place a bet) or fold your hand.