Poker is a card game where players compete to form the highest possible hand based on their cards, and to win the pot at the end of the betting round. It can be played in a variety of ways, from low stakes with just the blind bets, to high risk games with big betting. The basic winning strategy is simple enough: always fold weak hands, and call with strong ones.
There are a few skills required to become a good poker player: discipline and perseverance, sharp focus, and confidence in your abilities. In addition, you need to commit to smart game selection – playing in the games that have the best chances of giving you a positive return on your investment.
Another skill required is to be able to read other players, and exploit their mistakes. The top players do this by not only trying to outwit their opponents, but also by capitalizing on their misplays. This means that you should play your strong value hands with a lot of aggression, and not be afraid to raise your bets when they are below their calling range. This will cause them to overthink and arrive at incorrect conclusions, and will make it much harder for them to call your bluffs. This way, you will be able to extract maximum value from your opponents. The only exception to this is when you have a strong hand that doesn’t need any more value, such as pocket kings.