Poker is a game of chance and skill that requires mental toughness. Regardless of whether you play poker for fun or as a career, you’ll likely face losses that hurt your confidence and wins that boost it. But you shouldn’t let these setbacks discourage you — just look at Phil Ivey to see how the best players handle it.
The basic goal of poker is to form the best possible hand based on card rankings in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. To do so, you must bet enough to force players with weak hands into folding or to make them call your strong bluffs.
During the preflop phase, players place an initial amount of money into the pot by placing antes or blinds. Once the cards are dealt, each player takes turns revealing their hand and betting. Depending on the rules of the specific game, you may be able to raise your bet at any point during this process.
A good starting hand range depends on your position, and knowing when to check, call, or raise is both a science and an art. Early positions like the SB and BB are at a disadvantage because they have to act first, while later positions can gather more information before making their decision. Moreover, you must be disciplined to stick to best practices while also being flexible enough to adjust your strategy on the fly.