A card game that involves betting between players, poker can be a fun and relaxing hobby. Unlike most casino games, which depend heavily on luck, poker requires a significant amount of skill and psychology. In addition to learning the rules and strategies, players need to improve their physical endurance in order to handle long poker sessions. They also need to practice their hand-reading skills and pay attention to the tells of other players.

The goal of poker is to form a five-card hand that ranks highest according to the cards in your hand and the rankings of the other players’ hands. You win the pot at the end of each betting round if your hand is higher than any other player’s. Players can bet by raising their bets when they have a strong hand or by calling when they have a weak one. They can also bluff, in which case they bet that they have a high hand and hope that other players call their bets.

As a beginner, you should focus on learning to read other players’ “tells.” A tell is an unconscious habit that gives away information about a player’s hand. Common tells include fiddling with chips or a ring, but they can also be a change in posture or a gesture. A good poker player learns to spot his opponent’s tells and use them against him.