When people think of poker these days they are generally referring to Texas hold'em. Texas hold'em poker has picked up an enormous amount of fans and is quite possibly more popular than all other poker types combined. There is a total of 8 popular types of poker and I am going to tell you a little about each of them. Many poker game types support the card rankings but most everything else is different.

Let's start with learning the basics of Texas Hold'em style poker. First, the 2 players to the left of the dealer put down a small blind and a big blind. Blinds are small bets based on the rules set prior to the game starting. Each player is dealt 2 cards down which are called pocket cards. The first person able to call, bet, or fold is left of the big blind. Calling means you will match the current per player bet and pass the option on to the next player. In order to stay in the game you must at least match the big blind unless a greater bet has been placed then you must match that. Each player will have the option to bet, fold or call when it is their turn. After everyone has completed the first round of bets 3 cards are flipped from the remaining deck in viewing of each player. Everyone playing will mentally use these cards in combination with their own to make the best possible poker hand. Each player then is able to bet, fold, or call again. After betting you take one card out of the deck and face it down, then place the following card up next to the 3 flipped. This again is mentally used to improve each player's hand. After the option to once again bet, fold, or call happens again another card is placed down and another one up. This is the last chance for everyone to bet, fold, or call. If someone calls and matches all bets the players remaining must show each other their cards. The winner takes the pot.

5 card and 7 card stud is the first ones we will start with. These were both very popular games before Texas hold'em grew in popularity. In 7 card stud, each player is dealt 2 cards - one up and one down. Whoever has the lowest card showing at the table must initiate by betting or checking. Following the bet initiation each person at the table must pass, raise or fold their hand. There is a maximum of 4 bets per round (1 bet and 3 raises) with a total of 5 rounds. Whoever is dealt the highest strongest poker hand showing must be the first one to initiate betting for that round. Each round is another opportunity to bet while cards are placed face up on the table except on the first and final round where it is face down leaving plenty of mystery to the game. 5 card stud follows all of the same rules except there are 2 of the face up cards are not included leaving each player with 5 cards dealt at the end of each hand. Although the rules are similar to Texas hold'em there are some crucial differences. Each player has their own face up cards and the person that initiates the bet each round changes consistently completely changing the metrics of the game.

If you are interested in learning simplified rules of other poker variations please continue reading to Part 2 of this article.