In poker, players form a hand by combining cards with different ranks. The highest-ranking hand wins the pot (the total amount of money bet during the hand). While a good deal of poker is chance, it can also be a game of strategy and psychology.

The first step to getting better at poker is understanding how to read the odds of a given hand. This is important because it gives you a general idea of what you’re up against when deciding whether to call or raise.

When it’s your turn to act, you can fold (leave the hand), check (don’t put any money into the pot), call (match another player’s bet), or raise (bet a larger amount than the previous player). When you say “raise,” the other players will go around in a circle and choose whether to call your new bet or fold.

After the flop, the dealer puts a fourth community card on the table. This is known as the turn. Then the fifth and final community card is revealed, which is called the river. The last betting round happens after this.

When it’s your turn to act, always have a reason for making a check, call, or raise. The more thought you put into your decisions, the better your chances of success in poker. For example, if you raise your bet without a good reason, you’ll probably get called by someone with a better hand. This is a common mistake known as bad bluffing.