Poker is a card game with a wide range of variants, rules and strategies. It is a game of chance but also relies on skill, psychology and reading the other players at the table.

When starting out, play low stakes cash games and micro tournaments to familiarize yourself with the game mechanics and understand the flow of hands. This will also help you get comfortable with using poker chips. It is important to remember that while studying and observing experienced players is extremely valuable, it is equally as important to develop your own style and instincts.

It is also a good idea to start keeping a poker hand history file. This will allow you to analyze your results and identify areas where you can improve your play. By doing this, you will be able to avoid making costly mistakes that can be very difficult to pinpoint when your emotions are running high.

One of the most common reasons for people to lose money at poker is because they are playing under the influence of negative emotions such as anger and frustration. This state of compromised decision making is called poker tilt, and it can be extremely detrimental to your winning potential. To combat this, try to always keep a level head and take advantage of timeouts when you start losing multiple hands in a row. This will prevent you from making bad decisions that can snowball into losing weeks, months or even years.