Different Types of Poker Games | Popular Poker Game Variations

While poker has become synonymous with Texas hold’em, the truth is that there are several variants of the game. If you want to try a new form of poker, here are a few popular poker variations:

Texas Hold’em

The most popular poker game of them all, Texas Hold’em poker is a great way for beginners to start playing poker. Each player in the game is given two private ‘hole cards’ and players need to decide if their cards could help them make the winning five-card hand.

There are five ‘community cards’, three of which are revealed at once in Flop round, and the others are opened in subsequent rounds. After the ‘blinds’ (compulsory bets) have been placed, players go through the rounds by either matching the amount bet by other players or betting themselves.

Players can also ‘fold’ their cards and throw away their hand, thus, not participating in the round. If two or more players reach the final round, a showdown takes place, and the player with the best-ranked hand wins the amount in the pot.

Omaha Poker

Those familiar with Texas Hold’em should have no trouble playing Omaha poker. The only difference is that players are dealt with four ‘hole cards’ instead of two and must use two of them to make a winning hand.

The betting takes place similarly to Texas Hold’em. Usually, Omaha is played in a limit, and the most common format is Omaha 8-or-better. This splits the pot between the best high hand and the best low hand (a hand having five different cards that are ranked eight or lower).

7-Card Stud

7-Card Stud poker was a rage before being dethroned by Texas Hold’em poker. In this game played between two to eight players, there is no ‘flop’ round and neither are community cards dealt. All players place nominal bets called ante (the cost of being dealt) and are dealt with two cards face down and one card face up (hole cards and the door card) and the betting commences.

Betting, initiated by the player with the card of the lowest value, continues in fixed increments for the next four rounds, wherein the players are dealt three public cards, followed by one private card. The player with the best five-card hand wins in the end.

2-7 Triple Draw

2-7 Triple Draw is recommended for players who are well-versed with poker and have been playing for a while. The aim for each player is to make the lowest possible five-card hand, as the ranking of the hands is reversed.

There’s another major shift: Players choose cards to be replaced by the dealer as well. After the last round of betting after the third draw, the dealer decides the order of betting and discarding cards. A maximum of six players can play this game, which is Texas Hold’em flipped on its head.

Chinese Poker

Chinese poker is slowly catching up in the gaming world. Invented just 7 years ago, the game has its origins in the classic Chinese poker and is played with a maximum of 4 players. Players draw cards from the same deck and try to make the winning hand.

The game is played for points (much like hearts) and after the rounds are complete, players arrange their 13 cards into three hands: top, middle, and bottom. Points are awarded individually for the three hands and there’s a rule called ‘fantasyland’, wherein players with two ‘Queens’ or better on top the top hand is dealt all the 13 cards at once.

Razz Poker

Razz poker, also called 7-Card Stud Low poker, has its players trying to make the best ace to five low poker hand to win the showdown. The players are dealt seven cards and they must make the best five-card low hand, according to the ‘California’ ranking system for low hands, in order to be the winner.

The ante, betting, and the other rules are rather similar to 7-Card Stud. In the traditional sense, a game of Razz poker is won by holding the ‘worst’ possible hand.

Did you know there were so many types of poker games? Which one are you going to play?