The game of poker involves forming the best possible hand from your cards in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. While there is a significant amount of luck involved in the outcome of any given hand, skill will typically outweigh it over the long run. Therefore, players should focus on improving their fundamental play and studying player tendencies in order to maximize their long-term winning potential.

To become a better player, start out playing conservatively and at low stakes to gain confidence and learn the game. You should also try to watch videos of professional players on YouTube to see how they play the game and what mistakes they make so you can avoid them.

After each session, analyze your hands to determine areas where you can improve. This will help you reduce your losses and increase your wins. For example, you may find that you’re folding too many times before the flop or that you’re raising too aggressively.

You should also work on your mental game by learning how to deal with bad luck and downswings. Ultimately, you can’t eliminate variance, but by practicing discipline in your starting hand selection, table selection, and bet timing, you can minimize the extent of your downswings. In addition, you should be sure to use proper bankroll management techniques to ensure that even a big loss doesn’t threaten your ability to play the game over the long term.