Unlike many gambling games, where luck plays a major role, poker requires a significant amount of skill to succeed at. This is the key difference that distinguishes it from other casino table games. Professional players consistently generate positive long-term results by making bets based on probability, psychology and game theory.

The game starts with each player being dealt two cards face down and one card face up. Then, depending on the rules of the game, players can choose to stay with their two personal cards or to try for a better hand by combining them with the community cards revealed later in the round. In most games, players can also draw replacement cards for the ones they have in their hands.

After the community cards are revealed, betting begins with the person to the left of the dealer. When it’s your turn, you can say “stay,” “hit,” or “double up” to add money to the pot. If you want to get a new card, you can also say “call” or “raise.”

Pay attention to the people playing the game and describe their reactions. For example, if you see someone making large bets but doesn’t seem too confident about his or her hand, it could be a tell that the player is holding a strong hand. You can also pick up on other tells by studying a player’s body language and looking for idiosyncrasies, like whether they flinch at bets or glance frequently at their chips.