Poker is a betting card game that requires the ability to read other players and calculate odds. It also requires patience, the ability to hold a steady mental focus and the willingness to make big bluffs. The objective of the game is to form a high-ranking hand based on the cards you are dealt and win the pot at the end of each betting round.
During a betting round, each player has the option to check (passing on a bet), call (put chips into the pot that their opponents must match), or raise (bet more than the previous player). In addition to the main pot there can be side pots for different types of hands. When a player chooses to drop out of any of the side pots, they forfeit their rights in the original pot to the player whose later bet they did not call.
While new players often try to put an opponent on a specific hand, experienced players will work out the range that the opponent could have and then assess how likely it is that they will beat that range. They will then play their hand accordingly.
Good players will also fast-play their strong hands to build the pot and chase off other players waiting for a draw that can beat their hand. Occasionally you will lose the pot when you are in possession of a strong hand, but this is to be expected and should not affect your overall win rate.