Poker is a game where you place your bets against the other players’ hands. The goal is to get a good hand of cards, such as a straight or a flush, to win the pot. The best hand wins the entire pot and all the money in it.

Two people are required to put in a small amount of money before they see their cards (the blind and the big blind). This creates a pot immediately and encourages competition. Each player has to decide whether to call the bet or raise it.

The rules of poker vary depending on the type of poker you’re playing and the stakes involved. However, the basic rules are always the same. For example, you can never raise more than the amount of chips that have already been raised by the previous players. You also can’t go all-in unless you have enough chips to cover that bet.

One of the most important things to remember when starting out is that short term luck will make you look like a complete idiot at times. You can’t control this, but you can rise above it and play for your long term success instead of getting caught up in the short term madness.

Another important thing to remember is to play your draws aggressively. Many new players are too passive with their draws, which means they’re giving away money to their opponents. By raising and betting, you can take the power back from your opponents and make them play worse hands than they would if you were just calling.