Poker is a game that involves risk with the potential for reward. This applies not only to the game, but in life as well. Sometimes life hands us bad cards, but this shouldn’t stop you from trying to maximize your chances of winning. Taking a moderate amount of risk can yield a great return.
When you say “call,” you’re placing a bet equal to the last one, or higher, into the pot. This allows you to keep control of the hand by not making the opponent bluff too often. Say “raise” if you want to add more money to the pot than your opponents.
Once the betting is done on the pre-flop stage the dealer deals three more cards face up on the board that everyone can use, called the flop. If there is a high pair, a straight, or a flush the highest card wins the hand. High card also breaks ties.
A good strategy is to play tight and only call with strong hands. A weak player will bet aggressively, and you can easily lose your money if you don’t have a good enough hand to call the bets.
If you’re in EP (early position) or MP (middle position), play even tighter, as you should only open with very strong hands. If you’re in late position, however, your range can be a little wider. Learn to read your opponents and watch for tells, such as fiddling with a ring or a stack of chips.