Poker is a card game where players form a hand based on the card rankings to win the pot (the sum of all the bets made during each betting round). It’s essential to understand the basics of poker, including how to play different positions and what type of hands are better to play with.

You also need to be able to read the other players and their actions at the table. This can include body language and facial expressions, as well as how they react to their own cards. If you can’t pick up on this, you’ll never be able to get a good read on whether they’re bluffing or not.

A good poker book will have a mixture of theory and practical examples, so readers can learn from both successes and failures. It’s also important to be able to take your losses and learn from them, rather than chasing them and becoming demoralised. This is a great way to improve your resilience, which will have benefits outside of the game too.

In addition, poker teaches players to be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, so they can adjust their strategy accordingly. They also learn to make smart decisions and avoid costly mistakes. For example, by making sure they know what type of hands to play with, and when to fold. They’ll also be able to calculate the odds of their opponents’ hands, and predict what kind of bets they might make.