The game of poker has many catchy expressions, but one of the best is “Play the player, not the cards.” This means that your success at a table is dependent on what other players are doing, not on how good your own hand is. Whether you’re playing online or in person, this principle applies. For example, if you’re holding a pair of Kings while the guy next to you is holding American Airlines, you’re going to lose 82% of the time!

The first thing you need to understand is the betting structure. Each player is forced to put in two mandatory bets before seeing their cards (the small and big blind). This creates a pot immediately and encourages competition.

After the players see their cards, they will either hit, stay or fold. If you think your hand is low in value, then you would say hit and the dealer will give you another card. If you’re happy with your value, then you would say stay and turn your cards face down. If you want to add more money to the pot, then you would raise.

Before a hand is dealt, the players will check for blackjack and the dealer will place the cards in front of them. Then the betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. Once the betting is complete, the dealer will deal 1 more card to each player, which is called the flop. Then there is another round of betting.

If you’re unsure of the rules of poker, just remember that there are certain poker etiquette guidelines that must be followed at all times. These include respecting your fellow players and dealers, not disrupting the game, and being gracious when you win or lose.

You should also memorize the different poker hands and their rankings. This will help you to know what hands are better than others, and it’ll allow you to make the best decision when betting. For example, a full house contains three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank, while a straight contains 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A high card is used to break ties.

When the flop is dealt, you should be aggressive with your draws. This will force weaker hands out of the pot and raise the overall value of your pot. However, it’s important to remember that you should never bet at odds that are too high, as this could lead to a costly mistake. For example, if you’re on the draw for a flush or straight, it’s often best to bet higher than your opponent so they will be more likely to fold against you if you do make your hand by the river. Otherwise, they may just call your bet and lose their own money.