Poker is a card game played with two or more players. A player starts the game by placing an ante wager, which is equal to the amount of money they are betting.

A player can choose to fold (not play the hand), call (match their bet), or raise (add more money to the pot). Typically, a player will make at least one call in every betting interval.

In Texas Hold’Em, the first player to act in each betting interval is the player who has the highest-ranking poker combination in his faceup cards. If two or more players have the same combinations, the player who has the closest dealer position bets first.

Optimum strategy recommends that players “play” all hands greater than Queen, Six and Four and fold all hands worse. The player should also call when he does not have a good hand, and raise when he does.

Many poker players get tunnel vision when it comes to their own hand. They are so caught up in figuring out what kind of hands they have that they miss out on a lot of potential value. This can be a problem, especially for newer players who are just starting out.