Poker is a card game played in rounds with the aim to be the first person to have the best hand. It is a game of betting and skill where the more you study, the better you will become.
Observe other players to understand their tells (eye movements, idiosyncrasies, hand gestures, betting behavior etc). This will help you develop good instincts and improve your chances of winning. It is also helpful to observe experienced players and imagine how you would react in their position to build your own instincts.
Each player is dealt 2 cards, known as their hole cards. They then have a round of betting that begins with the player to their left. Then, depending on the variant of poker being played, 3, 4, or 5 additional community cards are dealt face up in stages known as the flop, turn, and river.
After the betting is complete, players reveal their hands and the person with the best hand wins the pot. The best hand can be any combination of 5 cards: Straight, Flush, Full House, Three of a Kind, and Two Pair.
The biggest secret about poker is that it takes skill and the best players win over the long term. However, the best players are not naturally good at poker; they put in a lot of work to study the game including complex math, human emotions, psychology, nutrition, and money management.