Two face down (hole cards), four face up, then two more face down.

Or:

Two face down, five face up, one face down.

There is also a variant called 444, in which four cards are dealt face down to each player, followed by four cards being dealt face up, with a betting round following each of the face-up cards being dealt.  In 444 Eight Card Stud, all fours are wild in each players hand

Players place bets as to whether or not they are able to make the best (highest ranking) five card hand out of their eight cards.

Eight Card Stud is not as common as Texas Hold’em poker, however it is still a popular game, and it is found in many online poker rooms, as well as being added to many multi-game poker tournaments.

Success at Eight Card Stud requires patience and a good memory.  Since there are many face up cards being dealt, a skilled player has a lot of information available to them.  They can remember what cards other players were holding before they folded, and use that information in order to figure out what hands are still possible in the game.

Skilled Eight Card Stud players are good at waiting for the right hand, and then scooping a big pot when it lands.  This is in contrast to the faster pace of Texas Hold’em poker, where players still fold frequently, but tend to try for more small hands, and are slightly less ruthless.

It is possible to perform well at eight card stud even as a comparative novice - since the game is less popular, it has fewer highly skilled players, so someone who understands the game has an advantage over the casual players who drop in without understanding the differences between Eight Card Stud and Texas Hold’em

Unleash your full poker gaming potential with top quality poker rooms

Full Tilt Poker is arguably the most revered online poker site and it has been for quite some time. It sports an enviable list of superstar poker players, a myriad of poker rooms, superb poker variety and a host of poker games suited to each and every player. When it comes to making deposits, then e-checks are the way to go. Full Tilt Poker provides a rapid deposit service for all punters and a good variety of promotional and bonus offers too.

Likewise ‘Players Only’ is a widely acclaimed operator that sports a fabulous poker room. Their motto is ‘Unleash the Player in you,’ and that’s precisely what gaming at their site does. The poker room is well set up, with tournaments galore and 100% secure gaming. Moving across the spectrum is Ultimate Bet. This is another superb online poker site that players swear by. Live tournament satellites and qualifiers are its mainstay and to this end they provide their poker gaming aficionados with a Grade-A software platform, ring games and tourneys. And with e-check deposits, gaming couldn’t be easier.

Last but certainly not least

Pokerstars is the world’s largest online poker site and it processes deposits, payments and withdrawals in double-quick time. Absolute Poker readily accepts e-checks as a means of purchasing poker chips. And as far as USA poker sites go, this one is top of the pops owing to its low minimum and high maximum deposits. In concert with the list of top-drawer operators is 888 Poker. This poker room needs no introduction and its high-quality gaming is renowned the world over.  These sites are the proverbial kings of poker ring.

When Mac users navigate to their favorite poker rooms, they will be pleasantly surprised to learn that there are many top notch operators employing Mac compatibility. The most prestigious online poker rooms include: Ultimate Bet, Poker Room, Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars. All of these operators offer unmatched service excellence, 100% safe and secure gaming and are revered the world over.

Mac compatible online poker rooms go that extra mile to cater to the elite group of Mac users. Mac is like the Rolls Royce of computers and these top-tier online poker sites offer things like light versions of poker rooms which are essentially java-based and require no download. And with a richly rewarding poker prize pool, Mac users are cranking it up all the way. These fully functional and downloadable poker software clients offer superb poker gaming action and magnificent audio/visual effects.
Learning more about Linux

Many Mac poker players realize the inherent difficulties in finding Linux poker rooms. There typically aren’t that many online poker rooms offering this service. But the rapid advancement in technology is changing all of that. As the demand for Mac poker rooms grows, so too does the supply of compatible games. To add to the splendorous list of online poker rooms supporting Mac play are these stellar operators: Titan Poker and 888 Poker. These are the quintessential kings of poker gaming.

It’s not all a lost cause if your favorite online poker room does not support Mac functionality. With the massive popularity of Mac gaming, many online poker rooms have adapted their offerings to include this group of players. As early as 2006 online poker room giants Full Tilt and Poker Stars chimed in. To make your online poker experience Mac compatible all you need to do is use a PC emulator such as Virtual PC or even iEmulator. They use a lot of RAM, but they do make it all come to life.

Poker fundis can relish the prospects of many exciting games including Trey Poker Professional, Caribbean Poker, Let It Ride Poker, 3 Card Draw, Royal Poker, Let It Ride Poker, Caribbean Stud, Oasis Poker, Paigow Poker, Texas Holdem, Casino Holdem, Good Ol Poker and others. These quick and easy games of poker provide all the classic poker gaming without any of the classic poker risks. They’re free draw poker games and it’s all up to the player to raise, call, bluff, bet or fold. It’s that simple. Best of all, players can practice all their moves and in the process improve their poker skills. This bodes well in anticipation of real-money poker gaming action.

Other benefits to free online poker gaming include being able to compete against players at your very own skill level in a fun-gaming atmosphere. Plus there’s the added benefit of social interaction amongst players – this includes chat with competitors and decisions on what the Wild Cards are. Signing up to these games is a cinch and it only takes a moment of your time to log on and make online poker magic happen.

And no, it’s not a trick, a gimmick or a catch. It’s real poker gaming just 100% poker – the way we all love it. And these games include all the typical big online poker favourites that we all enjoy such as Omaha Hi/Lo, Texas Hold’em, Draw 5 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Razz, 7 Card Stud and many others. Plus there are many other benefits such as no download required, no annoying pop-ups, no ActiveX add ons – it’s just plain old poker gaming the way you love it.

Players often raise the question – why would poker sites provide free online poker games? It’s simple really. Poker is a game of skill, strategy and luck. If players can enhance their skills levels and then sign up for real-money poker gaming – everyone potentially benefits. And once you’ve mastered the art of poker play, the seamless integration to real-money poker gaming is a cinch. With no monetary investment on your part, the ability to learn to play better online poker requires only an investment of time. The graphics and audio are superb and the ability to implement winning strategies is done with a freer hand.

Remember: it’s only a game with play money – so your calls, raises, bets and folds are done with little pressure. This eliminates all of the risk of real-money poker. With no registration and the power of flash gaming technology to guide you – the world is your oyster and poker is your game. This is what free online poker, no download, no registration is all about. Enjoy the game.

Online poker rankings are made up from multi-table tournament results. And when it comes to calculating the true poker ranking of online players then it is wise policy to have more, rather than less, data. Many online poker rooms limit their data to mega prize pools, but others yet add in the smaller negative figures. Any player who is serious about poker knows that real-money gaming is the only way to test your full range of poker skills. These cash games are action-packed tests of true poker stamina. With the full range of direct stakes (with nominal chip values corresponding to real cash value) players quickly learn to appreciate the value of their poker decisions, risks and winnings. There’s simply nothing to compare to online poker cash games. The best part is that each and every game presents an opportunity to sit and leave the table at will.

Players often attest to cash games being the best way to increase their poker bankroll. Online poker players wanting to enjoy success in cash games require a good dollop of luck, careful poker study and lots of practice. It’s those single hands with big stakes that can totally turn a player’s luck. And the more you play, the better you become – that’s poker.

Another important tip for online poker players in the no-limit Texas Hold’em realm is avoiding getting stuck in the habit of losing their entire chip stack in their starting hands. After having been dealt two good hole cards, players tend to wager their chip stack based on those two cards alone. This is not advisable. Remember that the flop can dramatically change everyone’s fortunes and in Texas Hold’em the flop is all powerful. In Omaha it’s a different story however. The trick in Hold’em games is to get other players to go all-in on their starting hands and then go head-to-head. It doesn’t always pay off – but it can.

Players tend to stick to preset ways of doing things. While this certainly has its merits – if good strategies are adopted, it can be problematic in the case of poor poker playing. To this end it’s important to vary poker gaming styles. Knowing when to call or fold and avoiding becoming a predictable player are some of the key issues to take into consideration. Players are cautioned not to only raise the pre-flop with hands like AA, AK, and KK and the like but also being able to play both strong and weak hands.

As a rule it’s imperative that Texas Hold’em players only partake in games worth playing in. With so much variety and so many online poker rooms, it’s foolhardy to get trapped in a game that offers players little or no chance of big paydays or winnings. Shop around, look sharp and build a sizeable bankroll on your way to a Hold’em fortune. All the while you should scrutinize the plays of other poker players. Watch closely what they’re doing and learn to read signals – it will reflect in your winnings.

Another top tier poker room is Pacific Poker. This gaming giant has been in operation some 13 years and it caters to a large player base. In addition to superb quality software and an enviable list of online poker games, Pacific Poker offers many generous bonuses and exciting promotional offers. Betfair is another big player in the online poker realm. This has consistently ranked as one of the best poker rooms on the planet. And to think that it was one of the first poker sites to introduce PayPal payments. Betfair also caters to smaller groups of poker players which is greatly appreciated by novice players.

For players who are more familiar with the big name brands, they will be pleased to know that 888.com and Party Poker both offer the option of PayPal for payment processing purposes too.

Getting started is an absolute cinch. Texas Hold’em is typically the most-played and most-loved free online poker game. Poker practice is what makes a poker king – or queen. Moving from rookie status to full-on poker player is a time consuming process replete with strategic mindset development and lots of gaming under the belt. There are many online poker rooms offering ‘play money’ gaming. Here poker players are typically gifted a fictional bankroll with which they can gamble to their hearts content. On the plus side is the liberty with which players can enjoy poker games. They are less inclined to temper their betting, their calls and their bluffs. When playing with real money, it’s always a completely different matter.

All of these free games are exactly that – there’s no buy-in required and no real money changes hands at all. It’s all a show – to enhance a player’s opinion of online poker gaming thus allowing him/her to play with greater liberty. The practice out in the middle naturally allows players to build up their confidence levels to a point where they are likely to wager for real-money gaming. These no download games are typically powered by flash technology and take but only an instant to get started.

Sobriety is another factor that is critical to successful poker play. Players engaging in online poker gaming while intoxicated are likely to make poorer decisions when it comes to poker bankroll management and poker gaming. It’s wise not to play under these conditions. This raises another important point: bluffing for the sake of bluffing. There’s no point trying to outfox players who may quickly learn all your tricks and neutralize your bluffing trump card. Use the bluff sparingly and focus more on learning what hands to hold and which hands to fold. It’s wise practice to get out of poor hands, rather than throwing good money at them.

Other tips that the pros swear by

There are a great number of players who like to question raised bets. The problem with calling every time someone raises a final bet is that you run the risk of wasting a lot of money on keeping players honest. This is foolhardy practice. This also goes hand in hand with only playing when your emotional moods are stable. Excessive ups/downs aren’t ideal for gaming purposes. More general rules that pros swear by include always playing within your limits. It’s important to know how much you should be wagering on games. Don’t overstretch your capacity and always pay attention to what the other players at your online tables are doing. These are the golden rules according to poker pros.