Online poker is not one game, but a large family of related games. Hence the online poker rules may vary from site to site. There are so many variations of these poker rules that it sometimes seems a new "family member" appears every time someone picks up a deck of cards. Still there are general poker rules and principles that unite almost all games that fall under the name of poker.

Online poker is a rich, complex game that combines skill, luck and intense psychological warfare. Every player competes against and interacts with every other; each player's actions influence each other player's actions.

In some casino games, you play against the house and its pre-determined, unchanging rules. The opponent you need to outsmart sits at the table with you. The game is incredibly adaptable, and the growing popularity of online poker attests to that.

The object of online poker is deceptively simple: win the money in the pot during a round of play by either having the best poker hand (highest ranking five-card hand) when the wagering is done or by forcing all other players out of the hand. The pot contains all money contributed during a hand, including antes, which are used to seed the pot before each hand begins.