Poker has become more popular than anyone could have imagined, least of all the players who, in the 19th century, gambled on the riverboats along the river Mississippi in the U.
S.
They would no doubt be delighted to know that their little game has traveled a long way and won the world over.
Today, poker has so many variations that both first time players and experts all find that they have a variation that will appeal to them.
What is truly remarkable is that the game is played in many settings today - there are online poker rooms, pub poker, home poker and card rooms in just about every place that you can think of.
Another amazing thing is the global popularity the game enjoys, especially in the United Kingdom.
Here in the UK, there is even a version of Stud Poker called the English Stud.
Nothing can be more demonstrative of the way in which the game has become an integral part of human entertainment in this country.
For those of you in the United Kingdom who are new to poker, a quick word about Stud Poker and English Stud.
Each player is dealt one or two cards face down, and then one card face up, in Stud Poker.
A round of betting follows and more cards are dealt face up.
More rounds of betting follow, as each new card is dealt.
English Stud is similar to Seven Card Stud, but only six cards get dealt.
The other variation is that players get the chance to swap a card before the sixth card is dealt.
However, card swapping is not compulsory.
These are some of the basics about the game that you need to be aware of before going ahead and trying your luck at it.