If you want to become a good poker player you must learn how to read your opponents. This can be done by observing their actions and studying their tendencies. This will allow you to identify their errors and exploit them.
You should also keep a journal of your observations. This will help you recall key information during your games and will increase your knowledge of the game. It will also help you internalize the mathematical calculations necessary to play good poker. You can use a notebook or a Word document to write your notes.
In most poker games, each player buys in a set amount of chips. The chips are normally of different colors and different values. A white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and so on. The players then begin betting in turn, putting their chips into a pot in the middle. The player with the highest ranked hand when the cards are shown wins the pot.
When a player says “call” it means they are calling the previous bet and adding the same number of chips to the pot. They may say “raise” if they think their hand is the best and want to put more chips into the pot than any other player. The other players must either call the raise or fold.
The hands that can be made in poker are high pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, and flush. The highest pair breaks ties. The higher the pair, the better the hand.