Poker is a game of chance, but there’s also a lot of skill involved. The most successful players are able to read their opponents and make decisions at the table that will maximize their chances of winning.

The first step in reading your opponent is understanding their body language. It’s easy to learn the basics of this by simply watching how they hold their chips and cards and how they move around the table. However, more advanced techniques involve observing their mood changes, eye movements and how they handle the cards they have.

Once a player is dealt a hand they must then decide whether to call or raise. This process is known as betting into the pot. If a player calls they will then reveal their cards and the highest hand wins. There are different types of poker hands and the most common is a straight or flush.

During the second stage of the poker hand, called the flop, an additional card is revealed. This is a community card and is available for all players to use. Then there is the third stage, called the turn. An additional card is revealed and this is another community card which can be used by all players to make their final poker hand.

Eventually, the poker showdown comes to an end and the winner is declared. The last poker hand revealed is a five of a kind (Five Aces beats four of a kind, etc). A side pot is created if one or more players are all-in during the final betting round.