When playing poker there is a lot of information that you don’t know about your opponents. Every action they take gives away bits of information that you try to piece together into a story about them. It’s hard to do because you can’t see their hands but every fold, call, check, and raise is a signal. They also tell you things about their hand strength and their decision making process.
Despite what you may have seen on TV or heard from your friends bluffing is not a good strategy to use too often. It is a way to steal a small pot from your opponent but it should only be used as a last resort or in certain situations.
You must understand the odds of each type of poker hand to play well. The odds of a full house are three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. The odds of a flush are five consecutive cards of the same suit. The odds of a straight are five cards that alternate between different ranks but are all of the same suit.
The best way to learn poker is to start at low stakes and watch the experienced players. This will give you the chance to develop instincts about how players react to each other. You can also study pre-flop range charts to get a feel for how to open up your own poker play.