Poker is a card game played with a standard 52-card pack (some games add a few jokers). The cards are ranked from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The highest hand wins.
Players ante a small amount of money (the amount varies by the game). Then each player places chips into the pot in turn, betting if they want to. When it’s a player’s turn to raise, they must place an equal amount of money into the pot as the player before them. If they don’t, they must fold.
Besides improving your physical condition to handle long poker sessions, you need to learn and practice everything else over time, including smart game selection, bankroll management, bet sizes, position, studying your opponents and learning how to fold. Most importantly, you must develop a strong mental game that will allow you to make decisions more quickly and accurately, and stick to your plan when the game gets tough.
It is not impossible to become a profitable player in poker, but the divide between break-even beginner players and big-time winners is often much narrower than people think. The biggest adjustment a player must make is to start viewing the game in a cold, detached, mathematical and logical way. That requires a lot of hard work and discipline, especially when you’re dealing with bad luck or the temptation to go on an emotional rollercoaster. But it’s essential for long-term success.