Poker is a game of chance but it involves a lot of skill too, especially psychologically. You can find a number of different variations to the game but most have a similar set of rules. These can include the order of how hands are ranked and betting structures such as no-limit or pot-limit.

Poker can be a tricky game to learn, but you can make it much easier by playing at lower stakes to begin with. This way, if you lose some money at first it won’t hurt your bankroll and you can work up to higher stakes over time.

A good rule of thumb is that you should only play with a percentage of your bankroll that you can afford to lose in one hand. Generally speaking you should never bet more than 10% of your bankroll in one hand. This will help you avoid making poor decisions under pressure or chasing your losses.

When starting out it is also important to be aware of your opponents. A large portion of poker is about reading other players and this can be done by observing their actions. This can be done by looking for subtle physical poker tells such as scratching your nose or a nervous smile as well as by paying attention to their patterns.

For example, if you have pocket kings and the flop comes A-8-5 it can spell doom for your hand. The reason is that the flop may contain lots of flush cards or straight cards which could improve your opponent’s hand.