Poker is a card game in which players wager money (chips) into the pot according to the rules of the particular poker variant being played. A player may bet in any order he wishes and can raise or call a bet made by the player before him. This process continues until one player has all the chips and the highest hand wins the pot. Poker is a game that requires a good deal of strategy, and many winning strategies have evolved over the years.
One of the basic principles of winning poker is playing in position. This is because it allows you to see your opponent’s action before making your own decision, giving you valuable information into their hand strength. If you play your cards right, you will be in a position to continue betting for cheaper more often than your opponents and thus win more money.
Suppose you get dealt a fairly strong pair of kings off the deal. You can either call the bet of the player in front of you (“call”) or you can make a bet yourself and try to win the pot by bluffing other players. In the latter case, you are hoping that your opponents will call your bet and then fold when they have a stronger hand than yours. This is called “taking advantage of sticky players” and it is a critical part of winning at poker. The key is to tighten your pre-flop range against sticky players in order to increase the chances that you will bluff successfully.