Poker is a card game that puts an individual’s analytical, mathematical and interpersonal skills to the test. It also indirectly teaches valuable life lessons and mental discipline.

A player is rewarded for their performance at the end of a betting period, known as a “round,” with money called the pot. The winner of a round wins the pot by forming the best 5 card “hand” using their own 2 cards and the five community cards. Players can choose to call, raise or fold depending on the strength of their hand.

To excel at poker, you must have the ability to read your opponents. This requires attention to physical tells, which can be as subtle as a shift in posture or eye contact. A player’s emotional state can also be a tell, so it’s important to keep your emotions in check.

Observing your opponent’s actions is key in poker, so you must be able to pay close attention to their betting patterns. This is where the term “reading a hand” comes from. You must be able to spot the signs that your opponent has a strong hand and recognize when they are bluffing.

Another aspect of reading a hand is knowing the position you are in at the table, and how this impacts your decision making. For example, being in late position gives you the opportunity to manipulate the price of the pot on later betting streets by inflating it if you have a strong value hand or squeezing more out of a weaker one by bluffing.