Poker is a card game where players place an ante, receive two cards and then bet. A good poker player knows how to read the table and make strategic decisions that maximize their chances of winning.

In order to improve your poker game, you need to study the game and learn its rules. The best way to do this is to join an online poker school. This will give you access to expert instructors and structured courses that will teach you how to play the game. You will also have a community of like-minded players to interact with and ask questions.

You can also find poker strategy articles on the internet. But be careful when reading them because many of these articles will offer cookie-cutter advice and will not take into account the specific circumstances of a hand. For example, you should never always 3bet ace-high hands because this can backfire in some situations.

When it’s your turn to bet, you can say “call” to match the previous player’s bet or “raise” to add more money to the betting pool. You should say these words loudly so the other players know what you’re doing.

The highest hand is a royal flush. This includes a ten, jack, queen, king and ace of the same suit. Other strong hands include a full house (three of a kind and a straight) and four of a kind (all the same rank but different suits). You can also win with just a pair of cards, as long as it’s high.