Poker is a card game played by two or more players, who place bets in an ongoing pot. The goal is to win the pot by making the highest-ranking poker hand.

To begin each betting interval, each player must place an amount of money called an ante into the pot. Once a player has placed this ante, the other players to the left must either “call” (put into the pot the same amount as the player who bet), or “raise,” which means they put in more than enough chips to call.

The decision to raise or fold is the single biggest decision you’ll make in every hand you play. A winning decision will make you more money over the long term than a losing one.

A winning hand requires solid betting, but you also need to be able to read other players and read their tells. You can do this by studying their eye movements, idiosyncrasies, hand gestures, and betting behavior.

If your opponent bets a lot and then suddenly calls an outrageous bet, this may be a sign that they have a high pair or a low set. When you see these signs, bet aggressively and bet with the expectation of winning big.

This is the most important strategy for poker players to learn. It can change the game entirely, especially if you are playing for large amounts of money. It’s not as easy to do as you might think, but it will pay off in the long run.