Poker is a card game where players compete for money. It involves betting based on the strength of a hand and strategy, but is also a game of chance and psychology. The most successful poker players possess several skills: they can calculate pot odds, read other players, and have a solid game plan. They also have a strong bankroll and stick to it.
When you say “call” in a poker hand, it means that you want to bet the same amount as the person before you. You can call a bet at any time before you act.
Generally, you should only call a bet when you have a good hand or can make a decent bluff. If you have a strong hand, you should bet aggressively to push out other weak hands from the table.
The best poker hands are straights, flushes, three of a kind, two pair, and high cards. A straight is 5 consecutive cards of the same rank, a flush is five cards of different ranks that run in sequence, and a pair is two distinct pairs of cards. A high card is used to break ties.
Another important skill is to learn how to play in position. This will allow you to get the most value from your strongest hands and bluff opponents off of their weak ones. You will also be able to control how many cards you and your opponent see, which is important in a game where decision-making is based on incomplete information.