In poker you play against other players to try and make the best hand possible with your cards and the community cards (the flop, turn, river). The player with the highest hand wins the pot. If you don’t have a good hand, it is usually better to fold than keep betting money at a weak one. If you do have a strong hand, you should always raise to price out the worse hands and increase the value of your pot. This is called “tight playing”.
You can also check (no bet) or say “call” to stay in the hand and match the previous player’s bet size. If you raise, you are adding more money to the pot and can expect your opponents to call or even raise again. Learn to watch other players and look for their tells – these are not only things like fiddling with chips or a ring, but the way they play their hands.
The roots of poker are unknown, but it likely came from a European predecessor game that dates back to the 17th century. It was popularized in the United States by riverboat crews and soldiers fighting in the Civil War.
New players often want cookie-cutter advice like “always 3bet X hands” but there is no magic formula that will work for every situation. However, there are some hands that are stronger than others and it’s important to understand how to identify them so you can make more educated decisions.