Poker is a card game played by two or more players and governed by specific rules. It is played with chips that represent money, and the object of the game is to form the highest-ranking hand based on the rank of the cards you have in your possession. You may win the pot by having the best hand at the end of the betting interval, or by placing a bet that no other player calls (leading them to fold).
There are many different poker variants. In most of them, the game is started by having each player place an ante into the pot. After that, each player is dealt five cards. There is then a round of betting in which each player may discard one to three cards or keep them and compete for the pot. The original pot is usually split between several winners, but sometimes a side pot is created for the winner of a particular bet.
Core skills in poker involve math and card combinations, but you also need to develop and practice other aspects of the game such as position and bet sizes. You also need to improve your physical game, as long sessions of playing poker can be taxing on your body. Finally, you need to be mentally prepared to battle human nature and overcome the countless temptations to play timidly or make bad calls or bluffs. Only by being willing to do these things can you increase your chances of winning in poker.