Poker is a game of skill and chance, but it can be tricky for beginners to get a handle on. Luckily, there are some simple tips that can help anyone get started in the game and increase their chances of success.

The first step in learning how to play poker is understanding the rules. This includes knowing hand rankings, the basic rules of the game, and position. These factors all influence your strategy.

Once you know these basics, it’s time to start learning about the different types of hands that can be made in poker. A straight can consist of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit, a flush can contain any five cards that all belong to one suit, three of a kind can be two matching cards of the same rank and two unmatched cards, and pair is two cards of the same rank with unmatched side cards.

It’s also important to understand how to read the table. For example, players who sit in Early Position (EP) are first to act after the first 3 community cards are dealt – the Flop. Players who are located on the button, or in Middle Position, are the last to act. This means that the player in EP has a strong advantage over everyone else in the hand because they can see their opponent’s entire range of possible hands before they act. This gives them more information about their opponent’s intentions and helps them determine how to make the best decision for themselves.