Poker as played in casinos is much different than the Friday night games at your neighbor's house. If you are a regular winner in the weekly games at home, don't assume that you can play in a casino and achieve the same results.

Poker, like blackjack, is one of the few casino games where the skill level of the player can make a major difference in long-term win/loss expectation. Unlike blackjack, where your only opponent is the dealer, casino poker attracts many of the best players in the world, and you must learn to defeat (or avoid) them if you want to win at this games.

The rules of play online poker are similar to the home games; the same single deck of cards is used, a royal flush beats a straight flush, etc.

Two major differences are that the casino provides a dealer who does not participate as a player in the games (but takes a commission of about 5 percent of each pot, known as the "rate," for the casino's services) and the choice of games is limited to those that the casino wishes to offer.

Currently the most popular poker games are seven card stud, Texas Hold'Em, draw poker, and Lowball. A complete strategy for each of these games is beyond the scope of this Site, but a few simple guidelines for the two most common games (Stud and Hold 'em) should improve your chances of escaping the jaws of the "sharks" that circle casino poker tables in search of new victims