Whether you play poker as a pastime or for profit, it’s important to be able to read the game well. This includes learning the rules, understanding the hand rankings, and being able to put in forced bets (ante, blinds, bring-ins).
Basically, your goal is to form the best possible five-card hand based on your rankings to win the pot. The pot is the sum of all of the bets placed during a hand. You can win the pot if you have the highest-ranked hand when all players have shown their hands at the end of the betting round.
One of the first things you’ll want to focus on is memorizing hand rankings. This is because knowing what beats what will allow you to be more selective with your own hands. For example, a flush beats a straight and three of a kind beats two pair.
Another key skill is being able to read your opponents. This means learning their tells, including eye movements, idiosyncrasies, and betting behavior. For example, if you see someone raise their bet a lot and quickly fold, they may have a strong hand.
It’s also critical to play within your limits. This means not playing in games that are too high for your skill level and only playing in tournaments that you can afford to lose. Less than 1% of people who play poker make a living from the game, so it’s important to only use it as an income source if you can do it well.