Poker is a card game that involves betting and bluffing. It is played with a fixed amount of money, called the pot, and players win it by having the best five-card hand at the end of the hand. Like any game, there are many different variations of poker. But in all of them, the objective is to win money by capturing the pot – which contains all the bets made during a hand. To do this, players must either have the strongest hand or give the impression that they do and thus encourage other players to fold (abandon their hands).

A key element of poker is understanding ranges. This is where you work out the range of hands that your opponent could have and compare it to your own. Depending on the range, you can then decide whether to call or raise. If you’re holding a weak hand and the chances of hitting a better one are low, you should usually fold. But if your strong hand is in the range, you should consider raising to price out weaker hands and increase the value of your pot.

Another key tip is managing your bankroll. Set a bankroll for both your session and over the long term, and stick to it. This will help you avoid going broke during a losing streak and will also keep you from making foolish bets just to try and make up for previous losses.