The game of poker is mostly about the cards you are dealt, but there is a lot of room for strategy too. Here are some of the most important aspects to consider.
The most important thing to remember is that your hand is usually only good or bad in relation to what other players are holding. A good example would be if you hold K-K while another player is on A-A. Your kings will lose 82% of the time to that hand.
There are countless books written on this subject, and it is a crucial skill for any poker player to develop. Reading your opponents involves tracking facial expressions, body language, and other tells. It also means learning how to read their bets and other actions to get a feel for their strength and weakness.
Another aspect of this skill is understanding ranges. This is when you work out the selection of hands that your opponent could have and determine how likely it is that they will beat yours.
Another aspect of this is knowing how much to bet. The bet size you make has to take into account the previous action, your position, the players left in a hand, stack depth and pot odds among others. Deciding how much to bet is a complex process and it takes some time to master. The best way to learn is by observing more experienced players and trying out different strategies.