Poker is a game of chance, but it also involves quite a bit of psychology and skill. If you want to be a good poker player, read some books on the subject, and try playing with a group of players who know how to play.
A good poker player knows how to read their opponents. There are many books on this subject, and everyone from psychologists to law enforcement officials has spoken about the importance of reading facial expressions and body language. In poker, this is much more specific. Learn to watch the way your opponents hold their cards and chips, how they move around the table, and how long it takes them to make decisions. In the end, this will help you develop a better sense of how to spot their tells and improve your own game.
After shuffling, each player puts a bet into the pot (a shared pool of money) when it is their turn to act. A player can call a bet, raise it by adding more of their own chips to the pot, or drop. If a player chooses to drop, they must remove their chips from the pot and cannot return to it until the next betting interval. Occasionally, the players may create a special fund called a “kitty” by cutting one low-denomination chip from each pot in which more than one player raises their bet. This kitty is used to pay for new decks of cards and other necessities.