Online Poker
Online poker comes in a wide range of variants, but most games can be fitted into one or more of four basic poker categories: straight poker, stud poker, draw poker and community card poker.
Straight Poker
In poker games belonging to this category, a complete hand is dealt to each player. There will then be one betting round, with the opportunity for raising and re-raising. No community cards are used, there are no face down cards, and no exchange of cards will take place. This is the oldest type of poker and it is believed to have evolved out of a game named Primero via Three Card Brag. Today, this type of basic no-frills poker is fairly uncommon since most poker players prefer games that allow for more complex strategic decisions.
Stud Poker
Stud Poker utilizes a combination of face-up and face-down cards. Cards are deals in a prearranged combination of face-up and face-down cards, and there will be a round of betting after each deal. Today, the most well-known type of stud poker is arguably Seven Card Stud where each player receives three face-down cards and four face-up cards. From these seven cards, a five card hand is formed. Stud Poker is the second oldest type of poker.
Draw Poker
In draw poker, each player receive a complete hand face-down. After a round of betting, players are allowed to discard unwanted cards and receive new ones in exchange. In our time, the most frequently played type of draw poker is probably Five Card Draw.
Community Card Poker
Community Card Poker is a poker type where players receive incomplete hands face down before a number of face-up cards are placed on the table. All players are allowed to use the cards on the table to form their poker hands. Texas Hold'em and Omaha, two of today's most popular poker games, both belong to this group.
Red Dog Poker
There is a card game known as Red Dog Poker that doesn't really fit into any of the categories above, simply because it is more similar to blackjack than poker. In Red Dog Poker, each player bets against the house - not against other players. Each player receives two cards, and is given an opportunity to raise his or her bet. A third card is then dealt, and the player is victorious if the value of the third card is between the first two. Payout is based on the odds given by the values of the first two cards (i.e. on the distance between them). Red Dog Poker is also known as “in-between” and “acey-deucey”.
