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Poker

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Poker is not a single card game, but a broad class of card games. A poker game can have a simple name like "guts", or it may have a cumbersome name such as "seven card stud eight-or-better high-low split". Most common poker variants, including all those covered in this book, share a fifty-two card "poker deck" (though the playing card deck itself precedes poker by hundreds of years), and certain rules for hand rankings.

Common principles

Variants

Five Card Draw Games

These games are played by dealing exactly five cards to each player and then allowing a number of cards to be replaced or drawn from the deck. Players must make the best (or worst) hand with the five cards that they end up with after the draw. Each rule set is based on these simple guidelines but alterations are possible.

Five Card Stud Games

These games are played by dealing exactly five cards to each player. Players must make the best (or worst) hand with the five cards that they are dealt. Each rule set is based on these simple guidelines but alterations are possible.

Seven Card Stud Games

Generally these games are played by dealing seven cards to each player. Each player must make the best (or worst) hand from five of their seven cards at the showdown. Each rule set is based on these simple guidelines but alterations are possible.

Community Card Games

Match Pot Games

These games are generally played by creating a hand of cards depending on the specific rules and then making a decision of whether to 'hold' or 'drop' their hand. If a player holds their hand and loses in the showdown then they must 'match the pot'. Each rule set is based on these simple guidelines but alterations are possible.

Three Strikes Games

These games start with a number (usually three) of "stacks" in front of each player. The loser of each hand must put one "stack" into the pot. Players with no "stacks" may no longer play therefore the winner is the last player with at least one stack on the table. Each rule set is based on these simple guidelines but alterations are possible.

Strategy