Poker is a card game played by two or more players and where the object is to win a pot of money. The game mimics real life in that resources must be committed before the information of the hand is known and no player has absolute command over all the facts until the showdown (when all remaining players reveal their cards and the winner collects the pot).
There are a number of ways to play poker and the game requires a good amount of mental toughness, especially when losing hands are involved. Watch videos on YouTube of Phil Ivey taking bad beats and you will see how he handles the situation with complete composure. This is a very important element of success in the game of poker and one which many new players struggle with.
During the hand, there are a number of decisions to make including whether to check, call or raise. Saying “call” means you are calling the previous bet made and putting chips or cash into the pot. A raise is to put in more than the last person and this will usually cause the other players to fold if they don’t want to call your bet.
Knowing when to check, call or raise is both an art and a science. It’s important to follow best practices and learn about the probability of your hands and that of your opponents, but you must also be able to adapt to each situation on the fly. Minimise your losses and maximise your winnings, and you’ll have a good chance of making it to the final table.