Poker is a game of skill, strategy and luck. Depending on the rules, it can be played with just five cards or with 21.

The basic strategy is to use your cards to make a hand that’s as good as possible. In order to do this, you need to understand the different ways in which hands can be made:

1. High card – This is based on one card that is higher than the rest of the cards.

2. Pair – This is two cards that are of the same number, like 2-6’s.

3. Three of a kind – This is three cards in a sequence, like 4s and 6s.

4. Straight – This is five cards in a row, like 7-4-3-A.

5. Flush – This is five cards in the same suit, like 5-6-7-8.

6. Two pairs – This is two pairs of the same numbers, like two sixes and two sevens.

7. The nuts – This is a strong hand that no one has, but which you should bet heavily on.

8. The pot – This is the amount of money in the pot that you can win if your hand wins.

10. Control your table – It’s important to be able to control your actions at the tables.

This means that you need to pay attention to other players’ behavior at the tables and be able to adjust your strategy accordingly. For example, if you’re the type of player who likes to talk to other players but the game is slow and there are a lot of amateurs at the table, try to calm down and observe their play.