A poker game involves betting in rounds. Players can either fold, check (no bet), call (match a previous player’s bet), or raise (bet a larger amount than a previous player’s bet). The action starts to the left of the dealer and continues clockwise.

The first thing you need to learn is how to work out your opponent’s ranges. This involves going through all the possible cards your opponent could have and working out how likely it is that they will have a hand better than yours.

Playing your strong value hands as straightforwardly as possible is a key part of winning poker. The goal should be to see the flop cheaply with your good hands and price all the worse ones out of the pot. This approach will usually make you a bit more cautious than bluffing, but it will also give your opponents good reads on whether or not you have a strong hand and force them to either put in a big bluff or chase their draws for a premium price.

In poker, as in life, there is a risk associated with every reward. Sometimes it is necessary to take a little more risk than usual to achieve your goals. However, focusing on playing it safe will only leave you a small chance of making money and will result in missing out on opportunities where a moderate level of risk would yield a large reward.