1: The bigger the room the safer it is. Sure, maybe that tiny room is offering some huge poker bonus, or maybe it's the first room you've ever played at and you've gotten used to it. But what happens six months down the line? Is your poker money being held in a segregated account? Is the rake fair? Do you know if there's any collusion in the games?

2: Bigger rooms offer more games. So the little room you're at has some great kind of stud that you love, does that game ever run? What's the use of sitting at a crazy pineapple table if there's no one there to play with you? And sure, raking in pot after pot is awesome, but sometimes a man has to hit up the blackjack table and split some aces too.

3: Want a big poker sign-up bonus? How about some slots freeplay? Bigger rooms have more bonuses more often. Not to mention huge bad beat jackpots and progressive jackpots.

4: Of course, you're playing to win, who isn't? But, what's more fun, playing with the same six guys everyday, or playing with a multinational crowd? Whether it's a German winning a million dollar poker tournament, or a Frenchman who can't be stopped at the roulette wheel (casino en linge is a rapidly growing market), the more the merrier.

5: Generally, the bigger the room, the better the rewards. Want a site that has great freerolls? How about some awesome player rewards? Or just top notch poker room customer service? The big boys have the money to get it done.

6: Party poker hits the bullet points. Party's the largest site on the internet, they've got great bonuses, and their software is A-ok. So if you want to get down with the get down, here's some rules for seven card stud (my personal favorite).

7: Card Stud was the most popular variety of poker, until Texas Hold'em took its crown. It's quite different from both Texas Hold'em and Omaha and it requires a certain amount of patience. However, it's an exciting game that can be very rewarding. Before the game starts, each player must post an 'ante', a mandatory amount that ensures there is some money in the pot. In stud poker games, there aren't community cards. The dealer begins by dealing clockwise until each player has three cards. The first two cards are dealt face down, the third face up (the 'door' card). Card Stud is divided into five rounds of betting, and the betting moves clockwise around the table. If two or more players tie by holding equally-strong winning five-card hands, the pot will be split between the tying players.

Opening the Betting
The player with the lowest-ranking up card starts the game with a token bet called the 'bring-in'. (If two or more players have the same lowest card, the bring-in is determined by suit in alphabetical order.

Third Street
Once the bring-in bet has been made, each player (starting with the player to the left of the bring-in) can fold, call, or raise.

Fourth Street
Everyone's dealt another up card. At this point, the player with the highest two up cards starts the betting. On this round of betting, if a player gets an open pair, he or she can make a double bet.

Fifth Street
Everyone is dealt another up card. The player with the highest combination of up cards starts the betting.

Sixth Street
Everyone is dealt another up card. Still, the player with the highest combination of up cards starts the betting.

Seventh Street or The River
Everyone is dealt their final down card. The same player who started the last round starts the betting. Showdown The player with the best hand wins.