In poker, players use chips to bet on their hands. Typically, the chips are colored white or some other light color. Each player buys in for a certain number of chips, which they then place into the pot in order to begin betting. The first player to act may raise the ante or blind, and each subsequent player must either call the bet (put into the pot as many chips as the previous player) or fold.

If you play poker often enough, you will learn to recognize the players at your table. If you see a player constantly putting opponents in tough spots with weak pairs, you might want to avoid playing against them unless you have a very strong hand. On the other hand, if you see a player always raising and winning with marginal hands, you might want to try to take advantage of their aggressive style.

It is important to mix up your playing style so that opponents don’t know what you have. If they know what you have, they will call your bluffs and you will lose. It is also good to watch videos of the best players, like Phil Ivey, and see how they react when they miss a bad beat.

Beginners should start at the lowest limits and play relatively tight in the beginning. This allows them to play against the weakest players and learn poker strategy. It also reduces their losses and gives them the chance to move up the stakes sooner rather than later, which is a great way to improve their win rate.