Poker is a game of skill, and the more you play the better you become. You can learn the game from books, videos or in a live environment with friends. You can also join a training site that specializes in poker and get personalized coaching to improve your skills.
The goal is to beat your opponents by making better decisions than them. A big part of this is reading your opponents and learning their tendencies, which can be done through observation and analyzing their behavior at the table. Some players even discuss their hands with other players to get a more objective look at their performance.
A player can win a hand by having the best poker hand or by betting and convincing other players that they are bluffing. In both cases, luck plays a role in the outcome of a single hand, but the overall skill edge of a good player can make or break their bankroll over time.
Most players chase too many hands and need to narrow their range and adopt a tight playing style. This will force weaker hands out of the pot and allow them to inflate the value of strong ones. Be careful not to call too often though, as this will burn your chips and leave you vulnerable to strong bluffs by your opponents. Instead, only call when you have a strong, value-oriented hand. This will prevent you from wasting money on hands that won’t play, which will save your liquidity for when you do get the cards you need to go hard.