Poker is a card game played between a player and a dealer. It is a game of chance, but also requires a great deal of skill. Amongst other things, the ability to read opponents and pick up on their tells is a vital skill for success at poker. Tells can be as simple as fiddling with chips or a ring to as complex as a certain way of playing. Beginners should learn to watch for all of these factors and pay close attention to their opponents.
The aim of poker is to form the best possible hand based on the card rankings, in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. This pot is made up of all of the bets placed by players during a hand. It is common for players to raise bets when they have strong value hands, in an attempt to make weaker hands fold and take control of the pot.
While luck is a large factor in the outcome of a hand, it is still possible to make good decisions at the table by observing how other players play and using probability, psychology, and game theory. A good poker book will contain a lot of theory and examples, as well as a detailed description of how to play the game.
It is important to keep in mind that a poker book will need to be entertaining as well as informative. Describing a series of bets, checks, and reveal can quickly feel boring for the reader. Keeping the action exciting with interesting players and their reactions to the cards that are being played is essential for an engaging poker book.