There are lots of different versions of poker but most have a lot of similarities the first is the object of the game. Which is to win the centre pot of money. Poker is Played with a communal pot and the pot contains all money contributed during a hand, including antes which are used to seed the pot before each hand begins.

All poker games consist of 52 cards from four different suits, which are clubs, hearts, diamonds and spades of thirteen cards each. The thirteen cards rank from lowest to highest as 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 then jack, queen, king, ace (in many variations ace can also rank as the lowest card)

A poker hand begins with the dealer dealing out cards to each player (the amount varies with the type of poker being played) The game moves round clock-wise from the dealer the first player has two options check (also known as pass equivalent to a bet of $0) or bet. The second player can either call (a nonzero bet that matches the previous bet), check (a zero bet that can only be done if there were no previous bets on the table), bet or raise (a non-zero bet that all successive players must match) or to fold which is done when the player does not wish to match the previous bets made. A player that folds forfeits their interest in the pot. Betting proceeds until either all bets have been called or all but one player has folded. The poker rules for the specific game may limit the number of raises allowed. However if only two players are in the pot they can keep raising each other indefinitely. At the end of the last betting round, all players who are left in the hand have a showdown in which the player with the best hand is awarded the pot. It is normally the player who made the last bet or raise to show his hand first in the showdown. The other remaining players then show their hands in a clockwise fashion. Players that have folded do not need to show their hands, players that know they are beaten can just concede the pot. Very often a hand won't reach the showdown stage as all the other players fold before it reaches that stage.

If two hands are exactly equal with all five cards matching then it is a tie with the pot being split evenly among the winning hands. Suits are not used to distinguish between the hands.

Before Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, methods for cheating the patrons were commonly employed. Illegal gambling (along with other illicit activities) was prevalent in Vegas since the turn of the century. Special or modified rulete wheels were part of the action. Many of these rigged or gaffed wheels remained in operation for several years after 1931. Once the new gaming commission was established and put into power, these wheels found their way over to off-the-beaten-path places and illegal out-of-state operations. As the commission developed some teeth in their bite, casino cheating ceased to exist in Nevada. These gaming commissions can stroll up unannounced, confiscate any gaming equipment as they see fit and take it back to their labs for a thorough inspection. The casinos do not want to risk losing their gaming license. Today, in Nevada or Atlantic City, you wont find any gaffed or juiced wheels out on the casino floors. But any gaming establishment operating where gambling is illegal is already breaking the law and has no license to lose. Be advised, you are probably being cheated in some way. Even in places where gambling is legal, but there is no strong regulatory agency, be wary! I have included several of the more common modes of cheating. Most of these are antiquated.