Poker is a game of chance, but it is also a game of decision-making and psychology. In the long run, skill wins. Getting started at low stakes helps, because you are not donating money to players who are better than you are. Observing your opponents’ moves and figuring out how to exploit them is the key.

If you have a strong hand, you should bet it. This will push weaker hands out of the pot and raise the value of your winnings. It is a good idea to keep records and pay taxes on your winnings to avoid legal trouble.

In the early rounds of betting, players usually call each other’s bets. To call, you must match the amount of the last bet. To raise, you must increase the amount of the previous bet by a certain percentage (usually twice as much). Saying “I raise” indicates your intention to add more money to the betting pool.

A player can win a poker hand without having the best cards by bluffing. The goal is to make it seem as though your hand is much stronger than it actually is, hoping that the other players will believe you and fold instead of taking a chance against you in a showdown.

It is a good idea to watch the other players’ body language to detect tells. If they are smiling a lot, sighing, blinking their eyes excessively or flaring their nostrils, they may be bluffing. Other tells include staring at the chips when the flop comes or shaking their hands.