Poker is a card game in which each player puts down a number of chips as a buy-in. Players then form hands based on the cards they have and then bet against each other in order to win the pot. The highest-ranking hand wins the entire amount of money in the pot.

A good poker player must have several skills to be successful. Discipline and perseverance are key, as is smart game selection and bankroll management. The right attitude is also important; a poker player should not become upset or frustrated with things that happen to them at the table, such as bad beats or being stiffed by other players.

One of the most common strategies used by poker players to improve their odds of winning is to call raises when they have a strong value hand and not bet as aggressively as they would with weaker hands. This allows them to conceal their hand strength from other players and inflate the size of the pot. In addition, they can take advantage of the fact that their opponents cannot read their body language or other in-person cues.

Another strategy used by poker players is to match the previous player’s raise when it is their turn to act, a practice known as “calling.” This prevents other players from seeing how much the person ahead of them has raised and can make it more difficult for them to call a bet.