Poker is a game that involves risk and chance. The goal is to form a poker hand with high rankings and win the pot, which is all of the bets placed by players. There are dozens of variations of the game, but the basic mechanics remain the same. Players must put in a blind or ante (the amount varies by game) and then are dealt cards that they keep hidden from their opponents.

Poker teaches patience and money management. It also improves perception and people skills by allowing players to read their opponents for tells and changes in attitude. It can also teach emotional stability under stressful circumstances, as good poker players will not chase their losses or throw a tantrum after losing a hand.

Math is a big part of poker, especially when you learn to use odds and pot odds to calculate your expected value (EV). As you learn more about the game, you can also start to gain an intuition for things like frequency and EV estimation, which will help you when you make decisions at the table.

Poker books are another great way to learn the game. You can find some of them for free online, and they will detail which hands you should raise from different positions. They can also help you narrow your range of starting hands and become a better player overall. You can also join a group chat or meetup with winning poker players to discuss difficult spots you have found yourself in.