Poker Games Rules

While many people simply say "let's play poker," the truth is that there are different types of poker and thus different poker game rules. There are many different types, though most versions are spin offs of major poker categories. The rules of major versions are detailed below, so from now on you won't look like a fool by asking where the community cards are during a game of draw poker.

1. Community poker games. The most popular category of poker today, community poker involves players competing against one another with a shared "board" of community cards. Each player receives his or her own cards, which are used to try to beat other players. Community poker games like Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha allow poker players to more easily assess possible hands that other players may have.
2. Draw poker. Draw poker includes games like Jacks or Better, Five Card Draw, and Seven Card Draw. It is the basic, traditional type of poker in which players are dealt hands, from which they discard cards to draw new ones. While less popular than community games like Texas Hold 'Em, draw poker is a great game for people just learning about poker games.
3. Stud poker games. In versions of poker like Five Card Stud or Seven Card Stud, each player is dealt a hand, and they cannot discard any cards or share any cards. However, this game is slower than other versions of poker because players are dealt cards one at a time, and each dealt card is followed by a round of betting. Because of the high amount of betting involved in this version of poker, people who love to bet may prefer this game over others.
4. Wild card poker. Each type of poker can have a variant involving wild cards, which are often deuces or jokers. A wild card is simply a particular card that can be used as any other card. For instance, if you have four out of five cards to a straight plus a wild card, you can use that wild card to complete the straight.
5. Other poker games. Not all games of poker neatly fit into a category. People can invent their own games of poker, and games like Blind Man's Bluff take a well-known version of poker and give it a unique twist. However, for beginners, the above poker categories will help you to easily know the basic premise of a game once you see how the basic game play works.