Poker is a game of cards in which players bet and raise their bets according to the strength of their hands. The player with the best five card poker hand wins the pot. Players place a bet called a blind or an ante into the pot before they are dealt two cards (hole cards) each. They then look at their cards and decide whether to stay in the hand or fold. The first player to act places his chips into the pot and then starts betting during a series of betting intervals, called deals.
The best poker players have a cold, mathematical, logical view of the game. They realize that making intelligent laydowns, i.e. letting go of a strong, beaten hand, can save them countless buy-ins over the long run. Watch a world-class poker player and you will see them bow out of their strong hands with a smile on their face, knowing that they will be in the money again soon.
Position is very important in poker because it gives you bluff equity, i.e. the ability to make simple, cheap and effective bluffs that other players can call. Also, acting last gives you more information about the strength of other players’ hands and allows you to bet more accurately for value. A good poker player is not afraid to bluff, but he knows that his bluffs must be accurate and have positive expected value for him.