Poker is a game of chance, but it’s also a game of strategy and psychology. It’s about reading the other players at the table and making calls based on what you can pick up from their body language and facial expressions. The more you play, the better you will become at this.

In poker, and in life, it’s important to know how to make decisions under uncertainty. This is because you can’t know what cards other players are holding, how they’ll bet and play those cards or what will come up on the board. So you need to learn how to estimate probabilities and compare those odds against the risk of raising a bet to decide whether to call or raise.

Another important skill poker teaches is emotional stability under changing situations. Whenever you’re involved in a hand, it’s essential to stay focused and ignore external factors like pressure, fear or anger. If you don’t, your emotions could get the best of you and lead to bad decisions or even to losing your bankroll.

Finally, poker teaches the importance of keeping track of your wins and losses. This will help you figure out how much of your success is due to luck and how much is based on skill. It’s also a good idea to play only with money that you are comfortable losing. This way, you won’t be disappointed if you lose a few hands in a row.