Poker is a mind game that puts your analytical and mathematical skills to the test. It also improves your critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Moreover, it can even help you delay degenerative neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The first step in becoming a great poker player is to know the rules and memorize basic strategy. After that, you can start learning more advanced strategy and tactics. One of the most important things to remember is that you should always play your best hand. It’s important to be able to read your opponents and watch for their tells. These tells can be anything from fiddling with their chips to their body language.

Once everyone has two hole cards, a round of betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. Players must make a mandatory bet called a “blind” before seeing their card. This creates a pot for everyone to compete for and encourages action.

Whenever you can, try to play in position versus your opponents. This will give you a better feel for how strong their hands are and it can also help you control the size of the pot. In addition, you’ll be able to call an opponent’s bet with a marginal hand and continue the hand for cheaper when you’re in position. This is a huge advantage over the player who calls in early position. It’s a good way to get more value out of your hand and improve your winning percentage.