Poker is a game where you do not know your opponents’ cards. You place chips into the pot (amounts bet by all players) before the cards are dealt, and you try to make the best 5 card hand based on the community cards. If you have a good hand and your opponents fold, then you win the pot.
The game requires a lot of patience and self control. The best poker players don’t throw a fit if they have a bad hand and simply learn from it, refocusing their efforts for the next time. This sort of resilience translates well to other aspects of life and can help you create a more successful lifestyle.
You need to work out the probability of getting the card you need on the next street, and compare that risk against the amount of money you can win by raising your bet. This is a skill that you will develop as you play more, and it can help you make the right decisions at the table.
When you have a strong value hand, bet aggressively. This will force weaker hands to check and allow you to take advantage of the bluffs your opponents make when they have poor hands. This is one of the keys to creating consistent profits in poker, and it will also prevent you from leaving money on the table. This is something that can be hard to do, but it is very important to your long term success.