There are several types of poker games out there but Texas Hold'em is the most popular in the world right now. Most people have seen it played on TV but might not understand the rules. Here's how it's played. Each player at the table is first dealt two cards face down. These cards are also called your hole cards. A round of betting occurs as players decide for the first time if they want to play their hole cards or fold. Then five community cards follow with 3 more betting rounds. The next betting round is after the flop (the first 3 cards dealt simultaneously face up). Then there's betting rounds on the turn (1 card face up) and again on the river (1 card face up). The turn card is also known as 4th street. The river card is also known as 5th street. After you bet on the fifth card, it's time to show your hole cards. In Hold'em, any combination of hole cards and community cards can be used to make your best five card hand.

Parts 2 and 3 of this post will follow shortly. In the meantime, go ahead and check out the below link. It has a list of poker hand rankings.