Poker is a card game in which players wager chips (representing money) on the outcome of a hand based on the ranking of cards. The objective is to form the best five-card hand using a combination of a player’s own two cards and the community cards. A winning hand claims the pot, which is the total amount of bets placed by all players. A player can also place a bet and win the pot without revealing his hand by forcing all other players to call.

A key skill in poker is reading other players’ actions, known as tells. These can be subtle and involve eye contact, facial expressions, body language or gestures. A player’s tells can be used to determine whether they are holding a strong or weak hand.

One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced players is playing too many hands. This is not a good strategy as it is more likely to lose money than make it. The most successful poker players are those who understand when to play and when to fold.

To improve your game, you need to study the game and understand its rules and strategies. You can learn a lot from reading books and watching professional poker players. You should also practice your physical poker skills. This includes developing stamina so you can play long sessions and focus on the game. You can also learn a lot by networking with other poker players and practicing the game in tournaments.