The Hoyle Book of Poker says that an ace can be high or low; however, you can’t have a “wraparound” straight or straight flush, such as Q-K-A-2-3.
Also, Bricker left out the 5 of a kind, though naturally you only see these in games with a wild (Cincinnati or baseball, for example), which beats a straight flush.
Best hand I’ve ever held was five kings in a game of Cincinnati (also called Japanese poker… 5 in the hand, 5 community cards, center community card is wild on table and if it is also in your hand)… and it was beaten by five aces. C’est la vie.
You read it right, but I don’t know ANYONE who plays by that rule. I always played that not only is A-2-3-4-5 a straight, but that A-2-3-4-6 is the best low hand.
Paradise Poker (no link, I’m at work) has quite a few games. I can’t remember them all but they do have pineapple, which is a cross between Hold’em and 5 card draw. I find that to be a much better site for playing with play money (never played real at party poker, so I can’t say) because of the ease to get a table. I found at Party Poker the waitlist is disabled (or was it just me) for play money.
It’s a little late in the thread, but I’d recommend Hoyle’s Rules of Games, (edited by Morehead (& son) and Mott-Smith) as both an introduction to rules and a quick strategy guide for many types of card games. It’s useful as an authoritative reference on card-playing etiquette if you ever need one, too.