Poker is a game that involves a lot of chance, but there’s also quite a bit of skill. Many players struggle to break even at the game, but with a little effort they can learn to win a much higher percentage of their hands. The difference between break-even beginner players and big winners is often just a few little adjustments that can be made to the way the game is played.

The game is played from a standard 52 card pack, with some variant games adding a few extra cards called wild cards. The ranks of the cards are ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. The suits don’t have any rank in themselves, but some types of hand are better than others.

A hand is evaluated at the showdown, with the best possible five card hand winning the pot. There are different categories of hands; any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower one (for example, a three of a kind beats two pairs).

You need to play your cards relative to the player you’re playing against. A pair of kings can be very good, but not if the other person has a set. Trying to beat them with your pair will cost you money in the long run. Top players will often bet strongly with their strong hands, in order to build the pot and chase off other players who would otherwise wait for a draw that could beat them.