Poker isn’t just a fun way to pass the time, it can also be a useful skill. The strategic thinking and decision-making that are necessary for success in poker can boost your cognitive function, making you more capable at work and in other parts of life. In fact, some of the best traders on Wall Street say that playing poker has helped them to be better investors.

In a game of poker, you start with two cards, called hole cards, and then bet in turn. If you want to match the bet of the player before you, you say “call,” or “I call” and put chips into the pot. If you want to raise the stakes, you say “raise,” or “I raise.” It’s important to be aware of your position at the table as it can have a huge impact on how often you win a hand.

Once you’ve raised the bets, everyone shows their hands and the person with the best poker hand wins the pot. The highest hand is five of a kind (two matching cards of one rank plus three other unmatched cards). Other possible combinations include a flush, which contains any 5 cards in a sequence, and a straight, which has 5 consecutively ranked cards but not from the same suit.

Watching experienced players can help you to understand different strategies and approaches to the game, and learn from their mistakes. Observing their moves can also allow you to pick up on any patterns or leaks in your own play, so you can avoid these mistakes and improve your game.