Texas Hold'em

There are two blinds, the big blind and the small blind, which is half the amount of the big blind. For example, if the table is a $4/$8 table, then the big blind would be $4 and the small blind would be $2. The blinds move around the table in a clockwise motion, and are the 2 players to the left of the dealer; small is immediately to the left and big is the second seat to the left. A dealer button is used to indicate a dealer; the dealer button also moves clockwise after each hand so all players pay equal blinds. In some tournaments when the blinds get very high, an additional bet, or ante, is also used in addition to the blinds. In tournaments the blinds increase as more time passes but at a cash table or ring game they never increase.

Opening Round (first round of betting)
After the blinds are on the table, each player will be dealt two down cards; these are called hole cards. A betting round will start with the player to the left of the big blind this person may choose to call the bet (pay the same amount as the big blind), raise (pay more) or fold (give the cards up and get out of the hand). When the betting comes to the small blind the player in that position can call the partial bet they initially placed (meaning they must match the amount of the big blind of which they have already paid half of), raise the bet, or fold. The player in the big blind has the option to raise or check (to decline to bet more) since this player already has a full bet in the pot. Should a player raise, the betting action must go around the table again with each player deciding to match the raise, re-raise or fold. Typically there is one bet and three raises allowed. Once the 3 raises have been made the pot is “capped” but not al three raises need to be used. In this round the bets are subject to the lower limits of the table or equal to the big blind. You cannot bet less than the lower limit of the table.

The Flop (second round of betting)
After the first round of betting is completed, three community cards will be dealt face up on the table, this is called the flop. There is a second round of betting (also subject to the lower limit of the table as in the first round). This round of betting is started with the player to the left of the dealer button which is the small blind. Each player still active in the hand may check (only if no player before them has bet) or bet. After a bet, each player may call the bet, raise, re-raise if a player raises, or fold.

The Turn (third round of betting)
After the betting on the flop is complete a fourth community card is dealt face up in the center of the table, this is called the turn, and is followed by another round of betting. With the third round of betting the amount of the bets goes up to the higher limit of the table, take a $4/$8 table again, the bets must be $8, a raise must be at least $16. Limit, Pot-Limit and No Limit (this limits the amounts that can be bet) is explained more in depth below.

The River (fourth betting round)
Now the last community card is dealt face up on the table, this is called the river; there will be no more cards in this hand. The last round of betting is conducted and like the turn it is subject to the higher limits of the table. Here the players have the chance to check, bet, raise or fold,  if there two or more players left in the hand a showdown occurs, all this means is that all players still in the hand show their hole cards to determine who wins the pot.

Players may use any combination of their hole cards and the community cards to make the best five-card hand possible. In making this 5 card hand players may use 1, 2 or none of their hole cards, all of the community cards, or any combination of the seven they have, 2 hole and 5 on the table. 

Omaha High and Omaha hi/lo

There are two versions to this game; Omaha high-only (meaning the highest hand wins) and Omaha high-low split (meaning the highest hand and the lowest hand split the pot). As Omaha hi/lo (high-low) is the more popular of the two you’ll be more likely to sit down at a hi/lo game, both versions are played exactly the same way except in the hi/lo version the pot (the total amount of money bet on a single hand by all the players) is split; the high hand is awarded half of the pot and the low hand will get the other half. In the event there is no low hand the high hand will take the whole pot. For a hand to qualify as a low, it must have five cards that are ranked eight or lower and have no pairs.

Opening Round
In both Omaha versions there is a rotating blind structure (meaning for every hand, certain players must contribute a set amount of money to start the betting). The two players to the left of the dealer are respectively the small blind and the big blind. The big blind is the lower limit of the table, small blind is half of the big blind. A dealer button is used to indicate the dealer position, it moves clockwise around the tables with each hand. To start the hand, the deck is shuffled, the blinds are posted and each player is dealt four cards face-down, these are hole cards. There is a round of betting that is limited to one bet with 3 raises. Betting starts with the person third to the left of the dealer, but for this round only and is subject to the lower limit of the table.

The Flop
Then three community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. These cards are called the "flop." All cards are dealt on the table face up, these are community cards. (All players may use them) In Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo, all winning hands must consist of two hole cards and three board cards. To make his best hand the player may use any two of his four cards he wishes but must use two hole cards combined with any three of the five board/community cards. In a clockwise motion starting with person to the left of the dealer, each player bets or folds with bets being subject to the lower limit of the table. In all following rounds players will bet in this order.

The Turn
Another card is dealt face up, which is called the "turn". After the betting action on the flop is complete, the dealer will place a fourth community card, face-up, on the table. This is the turn card, there is another round of betting but now the bet minimum has gone up to the higher limit of the table, you must bet equal to or more than the higher limit of the table, you cannot place a bet that is lower.

The River
When players have completed the betting on the turn a fifth card is dealt to the community and is the final card. All remaining players will now have nine cards to make their best hand; 4 in the hole and 5 on the table; keeping in mind that a player must use exactly two of his hole cards. Once the river card has been dealt, the final round of betting begins. This last, fourth, round of betting is subject to the higher limit of the table. When all betting is complete, the pot is awarded to the player with the best hand. In Omaha hi/ho the pots will be split between the player with the highest hand and the lowest hand, Omaha the whole pot will go to the highest hand.

If a player has the ace to 5 straight the player will have made both the high and the low hand, the whole pot will be won by this player. Players always have the option to fold and get out of the hand on every round. Many players believe because you have four hole cards in Omaha instead of two, you can see more flops thinking you have more hand you can make but truth is you should be conservative with your starting hands since more cards (than in Texas Hold’em) have already been dealt out because each layer receives four instead of two lowering the number of hands you can make.

Seven Card Stud

In a Seven Card Stud game, throughout the course of the hand players are dealt a total of seven cards; 2 will come facedown and then 4 more will be dealt face up and the last card is faced down. Before a game of Seven Card Stud starts, all players will ante a nominal amount, for example $0.50 in a $5-$10 game. The first three cards (2 facing down and 1 face up ) are the cards that will initiate the first round of betting; the card with smallest value facing up will have to put in the "bring-in"; usually the "bring-in" is a fraction of the lowest limit of the table. Example, at a $1/$2 table it may be $0.50 but wont always be that amount depending on where you play. In the unlikely event that all 8 players are still in the hand on the river, the total number of cards needed for all the players to receive their own card would not be available in a standard deck of cards. In this case the river card is dealt face up on the table and it will be used as a community card.

Seven card stud has two versions, seven card high only (meaning the highest hand wins) and seven card hi/lo (meaning the highest hand and the lowest hand split the pot).  Both versions are played exactly the same way except in the hi/lo version the pot (the total amount of money bet on a single hand by all the players) is split; the high hand is awarded half of the pot and the low hand will get the other half. In the event there is no low hand the high hand will take the whole pot. The way the limits are structured is different from Texas Hold’em and Omaha; seven card stud has only one limit of game which is fixed limit. The bets are determined by the limit of the table.

Before a game of Seven Card Stud starts, all players ante a nominal amount, for example $1 in a $10-$20 game. Each player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed card will pay the "bring-in", and is forced to make a wager of either a half a small bet or a full small bet (for example, either $1 or $2 in a $2/$4 game). Action continues clockwise around the table until betting is complete for the round.

Third Street or first round of betting
Players begin the round by posting an "ante" bet. The amount is determined by the limits established at the table. Afterwards, each player is dealt three cards consisting on two down cards and one up card. The Bring-In is based upon the player with the lowest up card. Now the action can begin moving clockwise. The player may bet an amount equal to the lower limit of the table.

Fourth Street or second round of betting
Once the round of betting has concluded, another card is dealt face up to each active player. The highest hand showed by the player is the determining factor for who will be the first to act. If a pair exists then the option to make a single or double bet will occur. Players will always have the option to fold. The amounts of the bets in the first and second rounds are subject to the lower limit of the table. This card is also known as "fourth street" or "the turn."

Fifth Street or the third round of betting
After betting is complete, the fifth card is dealt face up to teach of the remaining players. The player showing the highest hand will begin the round of betting and in rounds 3, 4 and 5 the bets are subject to the higher limit.

Sixth Street or the fourth round of betting
After the betting is completed then a sixth card is dealt face up to all of the players remaining in the hand.

Seventh Street or the fifth round of betting
One final card is dealt face down to each player and players will have a chance to bet in one final round. Once all players have called, raised or folded if there are two or more players left they show their hands and determine a winner (in seven stud high only) or winners (the high hand and the low hand in seven card hi/lo).

When a player has exhausted their balance during a round they will go All-In and a side pot will be started. What this means is that they have the potentiality of winning a portion of the side pot. If the player who went All-In is the winner of the pot, then the player with the second best hand will get the remainder of the pot.