There are several variations of Poker. The basic game is Stud Poker, in which the cards are dealt face-down at the start and are only revealed to the players as betting continues. The best poker hand is the best combination of five cards, but there are also other variations, including Three-Card Monte and Spit-in-the-Ocean. All forms of Poker are described in more detail later in this chapter. In addition to the standard form of Poker, players can also play Stud Poker with two decks of cards, one for each hand.
In addition to the traditional poker game, variations include a variety of betting structures. In some variations, each player is allowed to place a single bet, called an ante. In others, the player can choose to ante up, in which case he places all of his chips into the pot. The winner of the game receives the full value of the pot. Poker also limits the number of bets per player. Some games require players to ante up and make more than one raise.
In some games, the blinds are mandatory bets placed on the table before any cards are dealt. These blinds are usually two sizes and rotate from player to player with each deal. Players can raise or call bets when they think the other player has a bad hand. However, players must always remember that the limit of bets is set by the rules of the game. If a player raises, the other player will raise their bet.