Poker is a card game in which players wager based on the information at hand and make decisions that maximize their expected return. The object of the game is to beat the other players by making a winning poker hand of five cards, either a straight or flush, or to win a pot by calling bluffs. Players may also use tricks, such as looking at an opponent’s hole cards or moving their chips closer to the middle, in order to make it harder for other players to call bets.

The first betting round is called the pre-flop. During this round each player is dealt two cards face down. Then a third card is dealt, called the flop, which is community and can be used by all players. After the flop, the fourth card is revealed on the table, called the turn. This will start another betting round.

It’s important to know that you shouldn’t get too attached to your good hands. A good pocket king or queen will often lose to an ace on the flop, especially if there are lots of flush or straight cards on the board. Keeping this in mind can help you avoid being overly confident about your hand and increase the odds of winning. It’s also a good idea to respect the dealers. Trying to get their attention by talking over them or insulting them is bad etiquette and will only ruin the game for everyone else.