Poker is a game that requires several skills, including the ability to read opponents and predict odds. It also requires discipline and perseverance. In order to be successful, you must commit to playing only profitable games and avoid chasing losses with foolish tactics. To do this, you must set a budget, known as a bankroll, and stick to it.

Poker involves betting and discarding cards until one player has a winning hand. There are many different types of hands, but the most common include a straight, three of a kind, and two pair. A straight is five consecutive cards of the same suit. A flush is five cards of the same rank but from more than one suit. A full house is three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A pair is two cards of the same rank.

To play poker, you must ante up a small amount of money, called chips or cash, to enter the game. You may then raise the bet made by your opponent or fold your hand and forfeit your chips or cash. During the flop, turn, and river, players may bet again or check. When a player says call, it means they are making a bet equal to the last bet made by the person before them. If someone raises, it is a good idea to call as this increases your chances of winning. The numbers and calculations involved in poker are complex, but this workbook will help you memorize the key formulas, internalize them, and build your intuition for counting frequencies and EV estimation.