Poker is a card game with a lot of psychology and skill. While some people think of it as a game of chance, when you add betting into the mix there is a significant amount of strategy involved.
Depending on the game rules, one or more players must place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. This is known as the ante. Then the players reveal their hands and the highest hand wins.
In most games of poker, each player is required to ante a certain number of chips. Once the betting gets around to you, you can call or raise based on your read of the opponents and the strength of your hand.
A poker hand is a combination of 5 cards. There are different types of poker hands, the most common being a pair and straight. A pair consists of two distinct cards, the higher the rank of the pair the better the hand. A straight consists of five consecutive cards. The high card breaks ties if there are no pairs or higher hands present.
The best way to play a strong value hand is to bet heavily and aggressively. This will make your opponents think that you are bluffing and will make them overthink their hand and arrive at wrong conclusions about your intentions. Do this and you will find yourself winning more money in the long run. If you are unsure of how to play a hand, look at some old hands that went well for you and work out how you played it.