Poker is a game of chance, but it also requires a lot of skill and psychology. In addition to learning the rules, you need to understand how to read a table and make decisions quickly. A strong understanding of probability and statistics is essential to playing poker well. This helps you evaluate the risks and rewards of each decision, which can be a valuable skill in other aspects of life, such as business and investing.
One of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make is to play weak hands preflop. This can result in losing a lot of money because the other players will often have better hands. Hands like A4o should almost always be folded because they are not winners on the flop.
The goal of the game is to form a poker hand and win the pot, which is the total sum of all the bets placed during a single betting round. To increase your chances of winning the pot, you should try to bluff less and play your strong value hands straight up. This will force your opponents to overthink and arrive at wrong conclusions, and it will help you build your bankroll. You should also practice observing experienced players to see how they react to different situations. This will allow you to develop your own instincts and improve your strategy over time.