Draw poker. Games under draw poker are among the simplest types and are most likely the first form of poker that most people will learn. Players are dealt a complete hand and they simply try to optimize the hand on each betting round by drawing and replacing cards. The Five-card Draw is the most well-known of this type but is now seldom played in casinos.

Stud poker. What distinguishes stud poker is the way cards are dealt – some as upcards (face up) and others downcards (face down). In Seven-card Stud for instance, the initial hand consists of two downcards and one upcard. The next three betting rounds or “streets” are also upcards while the seventh street or “river” is dealt face down. After the seventh round, the remaining players compare hands in a “showdown”.

Community poker. One can say that community poker directly evolved from stud poker. The innovation here is in the use of a series of shared or community cards shown at the center of the table. All players must form the best hand based on the community cards and the “hole cards” dealt to individual players face down. Texas Hold ‘em is the most popular community poker these days and is usually the casino poker game used during tournaments.