Poker is hugely popular, for good reason: it’s a social game you can play for money; it’s easy to get started with; and there’s a deep element of strategy that keeps people interested as they become more proficient. The biggest challenge for new players is learning how to make other players fold. This is largely out of their control, but can be controlled through an assessment of the situation and the pressure you apply.

Most poker games are played with the classic 52-card English deck, which includes four of each card (ace, king, queen, jack) in different suits: hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs. Some people like to add in jokers, or wild cards, but beginners should avoid these until they’ve developed a strong understanding of relative hand strength.

The first thing you need to understand is that the value of your cards in a poker hand is based on how well they combine with the community cards revealed in betting intervals. That’s the main difference between poker and other card games such as rummy or cribbage.

The goal is to create a five-card poker hand with your own personal cards and the community cards. Some hands are better than others for this purpose, such as a pair of aces or three-of-a-kind. However, there are many other factors that come into play in poker. For example, your position is crucial as it can give you cheap and effective bluffing opportunities.