Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into the pot when it is their turn to act. The object is to make the best five-card hand possible. The player with the highest ranking hand wins the pot. It is played with anywhere from two to 14 players, with the ideal number being six. There are many different forms of the game, however, the basic rules are the same for all of them.

One of the most important things to remember is that poker is a game of deception. If your opponents know what you have, you will never get paid off on your big hands and your bluffs won’t work. Mix up your bet sizing and you’ll keep your opponents guessing.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the earlier you play a hand, the better. If you’re in EP, your opening range should be tight and you should only call with strong hands. If you’re in MP, you can open a little wider but you should still be raising often to put pressure on your opponents and price them out of the hand.

It’s also a good idea to study the rules of the game, and familiarize yourself with the order of poker hands. The basic rankings are: Ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, eight, seven, six, four and three. The highest hand is a royal flush, followed by a straight, then a full house and finally a pair.