Poker is a card game of chance and skill, with an element of luck that can bolster or sink even the best player. It’s also a game that requires the player to stay disciplined and stick to their plan. This is difficult because of human nature, which will always try to derail a player’s focus. Whether they’re timid or aggressive by nature, they will find themselves tempted to make a bad call or bluff when they shouldn’t.

The first step is understanding your opponents’ ranges. New players will often attempt to put an opponent on a specific hand, but the more experienced player will work out the entire selection of hands that the opponent could have and then calculate the probability that theirs beats that hand. This process is called “range work” and it’s a critical part of becoming a more advanced poker player.

Once you understand your opponents’ ranges, you can start to play more aggressively. There’s nothing worse than being beaten by a pair of kings because you were afraid to bet enough money. Instead, bet at your strong hands and force weaker hands out of the pot.

Another important aspect of the game is knowing how to bluff. A well-timed bluff can make or break a hand. However, many players don’t know how to bluff effectively. They will bluff when they think they have a good-to-great chance of winning, but this can backfire if they’re facing a player with great cards and no fear of calling your bluff.

To improve your bluffing skills, study the game’s history and master the basic rules. Then, learn some of the more obscure variations to increase your knowledge of the game’s intricacies and potential for bluffing. Finally, practice your bluffing technique with friends or at home in front of the mirror to develop your instincts.