Poker is an exciting and challenging game that requires many different skills to play well. The game is incredibly mental and it’s important to pay attention to your emotions and avoid distraction. It’s also a great way to improve your social skills by being around other people with the same interest.

There are several ways to make money at poker, including betting, raising, and folding. It’s also important to know how to read your opponents and understand their betting patterns. This will help you decide how to place your chips in the pot.

If you have a good hand, it’s usually worth staying in to see the flop, even if your opponent raises your bet. This is because the value of your hand changes based on the other players’ hands and the board. For example, if your opponent has K-K and you have A-10, your kings will lose 82% of the time.

During the course of a hand, you can raise or fold your cards by saying “raise” or “fold.” If you raise, you must put in more money than the player before you and the rest of the players in order to continue the bet. If you fold, your cards will be turned into the dealer face down to prevent giving other players advantages! The dealer will then deal three more cards that anyone can use on the table. This is called the flop. The next betting round starts.