Poker as a game has evolved over the years. Several variations have developed from the original game. Discussed below are the different poker card games along with the rules for playing them.

Texas Hold’em

This is definitely the most popular form of poker. In this each player gets two cards called hole cards after which there is a round of betting. He shares five community cards with all players. Next three board cards are turned at the same time with a round of betting. The next two board cards are turned one at a time, with a round of betting after each card. The player who can combine his cards to create the best five-poker hand wins unless he is bluffed by a worse hand into folding during the four betting rounds of casino poker games. A player can use just the board cards and none of his cards to form a hand .A dealer button is used. One can use e two blinds, or play with a single blind, multiple blinds, an ante, or combination of blinds plus an ante.

Texas Hold’em Poker Rules
These rules illustrate the exceptions
If the first hole card dealt is exposed, a misdeal results. The dealer then reshuffles the cards and recuts them. This continues if the second card is exposed due to the dealer’s error. The exposed is discarded. At the end of the hand the dealer exchanges the card with the top card on the deck, as the burn card. If more than one hole card is shown this is a misdeal and there must be a redeal.
If the flop contains several cards, it must be dealt again.
If the flop needs to be dealt because the cards were prematurely flopped before the end of the betting or the flop contained several cards, the board cards are mixed with rest of the deck. The burn card remains on the table. After mixing the dealer cuts the deck and deals a new flop without burning a card.

If the dealer turns the fourth card on the board before the betting is over, the card is removed for that round, and betting is then completed. The dealer burns and turns the fifth card in the fourth card's place. After this round of betting, the dealer reshuffles the deck, including the card that was taken out of play, but excluding the discards. The dealer then cuts the deck and turns the final card without burning a card. If the fifth card turns up earlier then the deck is reshuffled and dealt in the same manner.


If the dealer an extra card to the first player this card is returned to the deck and used for the burn card. In case more than one extra card is dealt it is a misdeal.
Before throwing one’s cards one must state that one is playing the board, else one loses claim to the pot.

Draw poker
Five Card Draw is the simplest of poker games. It has been popularized in Western movies. It is not much played in casinos because of its simplicity. It comprises two betting rounds, one before the draw and one after the draw. One plays the game with a button and an ante. Players can check, open for the minimum, or open with a raise. After the first betting round the players can draw new cards to substitute the ones they throw away. One plays clockwise if the opener has folded. The betting limit after the draw is double the limit before the draw. In some games a player can open on anything; while in others the opener must have a pair of jacks or better.

Draw high rules
It permits maximum of a bet and four raises in multi-handed pots.
One can check-raise both before and after the draw.
If a card is exposed before the draw it must be kept.
A playing hand has five cards. If action is not taken and a player has less than five cards, it is a misdeal. If action has been taken, a player with less than five cards can draw the card necessary to complete the hand. The button can take the fifth card even if play has begun. More or less than five cards after the draw implies a fouled hand.
A player can draw four successive cards. For new cards, four are given right away and the fifth one after everyone else has drawn. The same rule applies to the last player except that a card is burned before he receives the last card.

One can change the number of cards for a draw if no cards have been dealt off the deck or no player has acted in betting or drawing the number of cards requested by one.
Before any action one must respond to any question asked by a fellow player. This doesn’t apply after action has been taken.
On the draw, an exposed card is replaced.
All players must come for the full opening bet if an all-in player playing for just the antes has declared the pot open.

Stud Poker
Stud has several variations like Seven Card Stud .It is played with two down cards and one up card dealt before the first betting round and three more up cards. After this deal there is the final round of betting. The best five-card poker hand wins the pot. For all fixed-limit games, the smaller bet is made in the first two betting rounds, and the larger bet is placed on the fifth, sixth, and seventh cards. In case of an open pair on the fourth card, one can make a smaller or larger bet. One shouldn’t purposely change the order of your up cards since it misleads other players.

Seven Card Stud Rules
In the first round the lowest up card by suit begins the betting. Betting by the high hand on board follows this. If there is a tie the player who received cards first acts first.
The player with the forced bet can open with a full bet.
If the opening bet is increased to the full bet it is not counted as a raise but the completion of the bet.
For a fixed limit game if an open pair shows on the second up card any player can bet at the higher or lower limit.

All poker games are played Limit, Spread Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit. Limit implies the bets are fixed while spread betting is within a range. Pot Limit entails betting the size of the pot while in no limit one can bet all the chips that are displayed. Thus one can master different types of poker after being acquainted with their rules.