In poker, balancing your range involves deciding on the optimal mix of bluff and value hands. You can discuss these ranges verbally or in forum posts, or you can use the shorthand “JJ+” before a hand. For example, if you’re holding pocket Jacks, “JJ+” means you’ll call with any pocket pair above it. You can also use “+” after the starting hand to include all higher hands.

Different poker software will have different color coding systems. The selected hands will be a different color than those that aren’t. You can also see the percentages of all starting hands. This helps you make an educated decision about what to bet. Poker software will also give you a “range strand”, which contains information about all possible hands in a game.

Poker has a history that dates back to the 17th century. Although there are conflicting accounts, the earliest form of the game was probably played in Persia. It has also been traced to the seventeenth century French game poque. This variant of the game was later joined by the German pochen and eventually made its way to the New World.

Each round of poker involves betting a fixed amount. The betting amount for each round is called the pot. If no one has a winning hand, the pot is divided among the remaining players. There are also many variations of poker that require each player to place a certain amount of money before the hand begins. This is called an “ante bet.” It keeps the game from dragging out too long and ensures that each player is at least partially invested in the outcome of each round.