Poker is a game of skill and mathematics. It involves a large amount of luck, but it is possible to make money over the long term if you focus on the mathematical side of the game. It’s also important to practice and observe other players to develop quick instincts. Observe how they react to certain situations and consider how you would have responded in those same circumstances.

The first step to becoming a good poker player is learning the game’s rules and acquiring a basic understanding of how the cards are ranked. There are 13 card ranks, and you receive two cards for a starting hand, so there are 169 different rank combinations of starting hands (ignoring specific suit combinations). The higher the card rank, the stronger the hand.

Another important piece of knowledge to acquire is recognizing your opponents’ betting patterns and how they relate to their hand strength. For example, if a player checks with a strong value hand, this is a sign that they are afraid to call a bet for fear of being exposed. If they bluff, they are likely to have an overpair or better.

A player’s position at the table also has a big impact on their starting hand range and strategy. Those in early positions risk more money because they have less information than those in later positions. This means that they need to act sooner, which is more risky than acting later in the round.