Poker is a card game that has quite a bit of skill involved once betting starts. Most players start at the lowest stakes (the amount of money you put in) so that they can learn how to play the game without losing too much money. You should also familiarize yourself with the basic rules and hand rankings. Reading books and articles focused on poker strategy can be a great way to get started.

The first step in poker is to ante something (the amount of money you put in). The player to the left of the dealer position then puts in a small bet called the blind and the player to his or her right places a larger bet called the big blind. Every player then receives two cards. These cards are known as hole cards and can only be seen by the player. Once everyone has their two cards they can decide whether or not to stay in the hand.

If you have a strong hand then it is generally best to bet at least some of your chips in order to force other players to fold and increase the value of your pot. If you have a weaker hand then it is usually better to check and let the other players raise the stakes.

You should also pay attention to the other players at the table and try to read them. Some of these reads come from subtle physical tells, but a lot can be determined simply by watching patterns. If a player is constantly betting then you can assume that they have a strong hand while if they are consistently folding then they probably only have a pair or worse.