Poker has been played for centuries and no one can be completely certain what its true origin is. While some poker historians allege that the game was invented by the Chinese as early as 969 A.D., others fervently claim that it was first played by Egyptians somewhere in the 12th century. Regardless to where they come from and when they were first thought of, today's poker games, particularly online poker games, sweep people from all over the globe off their feet.

Indeed, with the invention of the Internet roughly a decade ago, poker has received a major boost. People from different parts of the world can now experience the gaming adventure without even leaving their homes. The statistics show that the number of people enjoying online gaming entertainment keeps increasing as the years go by.

However, have you ever asked yourself what poker is. What game the term “poker” refers to? Well, actually, “poker” is a general name given to a wide selection of card games. Some of these games don't even share similar features. The most popular online poker games are as follows: Texas Hold 'em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha and Deuces Wild.

Texas Hold 'em is a game that attracts the most online poker enthusiasts. The object of Texas Hold 'em is to make a five-card hand out a player's two hole cards and the five community cards dealt on the board face up. The game involves two mandatory bets and is typically played in either fixed-limit, pot-limit or no-limit variations.

Omaha and Texas Hold' em are two very similar online poker games. The greatest difference between these two lies in the fact that, instead of two pocket cards, Omaha players are dealt four. However, contrary to a Texas Hold 'em hand which can be made from whatever pocket and community cards, an Omaha hand must contain precisely two hole cards and three up cards.

7-Card Stud is yet another great attraction for poker fans, whether online or offline. Some will say that, since in 7-Card Stud there are more unexposed cards than in Texas Hold 'em, this game is even more exciting. The maximum number of players allowed to participate in a single 7-Card Stud game is eight. The game contains five betting rounds. Each participating player receives seven hole cards, three cards face up and four cards face down.

Deuces Wild is a poker game somewhat different from the ones we mentioned above. Being a video poker game, Deuces Wild has its own attraction. For instance, the four deuces in the deck are considered 'wild,' which means they can serve as the perfect substitute for any other card, both in suit and rank (just like the Joker in other poker variations).

As you can see the gaming world offers players a wide range of different challenges, it is up to you to pick those you like the most...