Poker is a game that requires a lot of skills. While the game is mainly about chance, when betting comes into play there’s quite a bit of skill involved (which doesn’t mean you can’t lose your money to a suckout).

To be successful at poker you need to make smart decisions throughout the entire session. This includes game selection (i.e. choosing games that are appropriate for your bankroll) and limits, as well as making sure to use proper game theory. This requires a high level of discipline and a sharp focus.

Another important skill to master is reading your opponents. In a live game this can be done through subtle physical poker tells, but in an online poker environment it’s more about studying your opponent’s behavior and finding patterns. For example, if one player is always raising the pot when they have a hand it’s probably a good idea to fold to them unless you have a strong hand yourself.

When playing poker you should try to play in position as much as possible. This gives you more information about your opponent’s actions and will allow you to make better decisions. It will also allow you to control the size of the pot, which can help you bluff more often and get more value from your strong hands.

It’s also important to understand the math behind poker. While this might sound intimidating at first, it’s really not that difficult to learn. The most important thing to remember is that the numbers will become ingrained in your brain over time, and you’ll eventually start thinking in terms of percentages and EV estimation naturally during a hand.

A final thing to keep in mind when playing poker is that you should never bet your whole stack if you don’t have a very strong hand. This will only lead to big losses when your opponent hits a lucky card. If you have a strong hand, bet enough to get the rest of your opponents to fold and you’ll come out ahead.

There’s nothing more maddening than losing a big hand to a crazy, mathematically unlikely card. It’s one thing to lose to a bad beat, but it’s entirely different when you dig your own hole and then bury yourself in it. This is what causes many people to think that online poker is rigged and they end up writing long rants in the chat box or just typing ANGRY COMMENTS ALL CAPS, neither of which helps them improve their game. The best way to combat this is to avoid bad tables, if you notice that a table isn’t giving you the results you want just ask for a new one. You’ll likely be moved to a new table and have a much more enjoyable session.