Poker is a card game in which each player places a wager before the cards are dealt. The player must then decide whether to play a hand or fold. A good poker strategy is to raise as often as possible with strong hands, putting pressure on opponents to make mistakes. It is also important to be able to read other players’ tells, which are unconscious habits that reveal information about their hand. These may include fiddling with chips, a ring or body language.
Once all players have their two hole cards, there is a round of betting that starts with 2 mandatory bets called blinds from the players to the left of the dealer. After this, 3 more community cards are dealt face up on the table. This is known as the flop. This is where you should check your opponent’s range of cards and determine if yours is better than theirs. If it is, you should call their bet. If it isn’t, you should fold.
If you are in EP, you should play tight and open your range a little wider than when you are in MP. This will ensure you have a solid chance to win the pot in the long run. If you are in LP, you can open up more and have a little more of a loose range because you have a slight edge over the players behind you. However, you need to make sure you do not get sucked into calling too many bets with weak hands.