• Draw poker
• Stud poker
• Community card poker

With draw poker, each of the players receives five or more cards.  All of the cards are hidden to other players and each player has the option of replacing one or more of these cards.  The number of cards dealt, the number of cards that can be replaced, and the number of times cards can be replaced is all determined by the rules of the specific game.  One example of draw poker is five-card draw.

In stud poker, each of the players receives one card at a time.  Some of the cards are displayed to the other players while some remain known only to the player.  The main feature that differentiates stud poker from draw poker is the fact that players are not allowed to have any of their cards replaced.

With community card poker games, such as Omaha hold ‘em and Texas hold ‘em, the players combine the cards they are dealt with the cards in the community pile. The cards in the community pile are dealt face up and are used by all of the players at the table.  With the help of the community cards, each player attempts to get the best five card hand possible.  In Texas hold ‘em, each player is dealt two cards while Omaha hold ‘em provides each player with four cards.

Regardless of the type of poker game being played, all of the other players are required to respond in some way to the bet being placed by another player.  Therefore, when a player makes a bet, the other players can choose to fold, to meet the bet or to raise the bet.  When folding, the player quits the game and loses the money that has already been wagered.  When meeting the bet, the player makes the same bet that the other player established.  When raising the bet, the player increases the amount of the bet and all other players wishing to stay in the game have to meet the raised bet.