Poker is a card game where players place bets on their own or other hands. There is a lot of skill in this game, particularly when bluffing, and the best players can win large sums of money even with weak hands.

When a player makes a good hand they usually say “call” to make a bet the same as the last person’s. This allows players to raise the value of the pot, forcing other players into the action with weaker hands and making it harder for them to bluff you off your ace pair.

If you play a weak hand and then call every bet, it will look like you don’t understand the game of poker and you will probably lose money in the long run. You should only call if you have a strong enough hand to do so.

New players often feel shy about playing a weak hand and this will cost them money in the long run. It is important for new players to play tight and only play the top 20 to 20% of hands.

The dealer shuffles the cards and the player on their right cuts. The dealer then deals the cards to each player one at a time. The cards may be dealt face up or down, depending on the variant of poker being played. Bets are then placed into the center, or “pot,” by each player in turn. Each player can choose to call the bet, raise it or fold.