Poker is an exciting card game, but it requires mental toughness. It’s easy to let the pressure of a good hand, or a bad beat, make you lose your cool. Professional players like Phil Ivey never get down on themselves, even when things go against them.

It’s important to understand how the game works. Once everyone has their ante (a small bet that’s usually decided by the table), the dealer deals two cards to each player. They then make bets, call bets or raise bets.

The goal of poker is to form a hand that is better than the other players’ hands. There are 10 basic ways to win: High card, pair of cards, pair of pairs, three of a kind, straight, flush, two pair, full house, and four of a kind.

When you have a hand that isn’t strong enough to win the pot, don’t be afraid to fold it. You have a much better chance of winning the pot with a good hand than you do with a draw, so be sure to consider whether it’s worth it to try and hit it.

In addition to your hand, there are many other factors that can impact your poker game. Some of these include your opponent’s betting sizing, their time to make a decision, and their stack size. Understanding these factors will help you develop a stronger poker strategy. This can be a difficult topic to master, but if you work on it, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions about which hands to play and how often to fold them.