Poker is a card game that is played by two or more people. It is played with a standard 52-card deck that includes two jokers or wild cards (if they are used at all). It can be played with as few as two players but is most commonly played in groups of five or six.
The first step in learning to play poker is to understand the rules of the game. This is usually accomplished by reading the rules and hand rankings, but watching poker games online or in person can also be helpful. Then, if you have enough money to do so, you should begin playing small games and working your way up to the bigger ones.
Once a player is comfortable with the basic rules they should learn to recognize good hands. This is typically done by studying charts that show the order of the best hands in poker. For example, it is important to know that a straight beats a flush and three of a kind beats two pair.
Another thing that many new players do is read poker books or articles. While some of these may have a few useful tidbits, they are no substitute for studying hands in the context of actual poker situations.
Finally, a new player should consider playing in poker tournaments. These are often much more competitive than cash games and will require a different strategy. In a typical poker tournament, only a small percentage of the players receive any money.