Poker is a card game in which players place an initial bet before being dealt a hand of cards. Then they may discard and draw 1 to 3 new cards if they wish. The highest hand wins the pot.

The rules of poker vary from game to game, but in general all games are played using a standard pack of 52 cards with four suits (spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds). In some games the joker is used as a wild card. The rank of a hand is determined by its odds (probability). Ties are broken by looking at the higher unmatched cards, except when two hands have three of a kind and a high card.

To get a better feel for the game, you should talk with some experienced players. However, you should be selective about who you ask. You want to find people who can explain their thought process, and not just tell you how they play the game. The more you play and observe, the better your instincts will become.

A good place to start is at online poker forums such as TwoPlusTwo. These have numerous sub-forums on everything from basic strategy lessons to more advanced strategy. You can also check out the poker sub-forum of Reddit. Finally, if you know any professional poker players in person, they should be happy to share their knowledge with you. However, you should remember that most of a pro’s success is done behind closed doors and not in front of the public eye.