Poker is a card game where players bet chips into the middle and then try to make the best five card hand with their own two cards and the community (shared) cards. The player who has the highest hand wins the pot of money bet. Players have to bet a minimum amount to enter each hand, typically an ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles and deals the cards one at a time to each player, beginning with the player on their left. Each round of betting takes place until all players are done betting and the final player collects the pot of money.
A good poker player needs to be able to think mathematically about their situation and the decisions they face. They need to be able to work out the odds of getting their hand, the likelihood that they will complete their draw, and then decide whether to call or raise the amount of money being bet. They also need to be able to read the other players, and to identify conservative players who will fold early, and aggressive players who are more likely to be bluffed into folding.
In poker, as in life, there are risks and rewards associated with each decision you make. Pursuing safety can result in missing out on opportunities to take a risk and potentially reap a large reward, but being too aggressive can backfire as well. Using poker to develop these meta-skills can help players make more profitable decisions under pressure and improve their performance in any poker situation.