Poker is a card game in which players wager chips (representing money) by placing them into the pot before each deal. A player can win the pot by either having the best hand or making a bet that no other players call. The game can be played by 2 to 14 players, though the ideal number is 6.

A round of betting begins after all the players receive their two hole cards. The first player to the left of the dealer must place a mandatory bet called a blind, and all other players must either call or raise this amount.

The dealer then deals a flop. The flop contains 3 community cards that are all face up. There is another round of betting, and the player with the button (the last to act before the flop) must now either raise or call.

To decide whether to play a particular hand, the poker player must consider its rank and his opponent’s reaction. This is known as playing the opponent, and it’s a good idea to study your opponents to get a feel for their betting habits.

Some players prefer to play it safe by only playing strong hands, but this strategy can be easily exploited by aggressive opponents. Furthermore, pursuing safety can result in missing opportunities where a moderate risk could yield a large reward. It’s also important to understand the concept of ranges, which is the collection of all possible hands that an opponent could hold.