Whether you play poker for fun or professionally, you must learn to weight your chances and make decisions that maximise profit. Like life, poker is a game of incomplete information and it takes a significant amount of resources (money) to commit to any hand before the full information is known. This is the essence of the game.
The first step in learning how to play poker is to study the rules and observe other players. This will help you learn to read other players and identify their tells. Tells are not only the obvious physical signs of nervousness, like fiddling with chips or wearing a ring, but can also include the way a player plays their cards. Oftentimes a player that raises early in a hand is holding a strong hand.
It is important to set a bankroll, both for each session and over the long term, and stick to it. This will prevent you from trying to make up losses by making stupid bets and it will also keep your emotions in check.
It is inevitable that you will lose sometimes. But don’t let this deter you from continuing to learn how to play poker. Every loss is a lesson that you can use to improve your game. Just remember that even million dollar winners had to start somewhere! So keep your head down, follow these poker tips and have fun!