Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, 5 Card Draw, Open Face Chinese Poker, Crazy Pineapple, Seven Card Stud, 2-7 Triple Draw…the list of Poker games goes on. There are hundreds of versions of Poker which is now truly a global game. Here, we provide you with a complete list of all the Poker forms or games along with their gameplay, variations and basic strategy. We will also tell you how popular they are and how easily you can learn about them if you understand the values of Poker hands.
If you want to learn about Poker Hands, we’ve also compiled a list for it – Poker Hands.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em tops the list of the most popular poker variant in the world. Any platform that offers poker games will have Texas Hold’em as its premium game with a wide selection of tables and stakes for players to choose from.
Origin-
The origin of the game dates back to the early 1900s and is officially credited to Robstown, Texas. Crandell Addington, Roscoe Weiser, Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim are a few legendary Texas road gamblers who introduced Hold’em to Vegas in 1967 with the first World Series of Poker held in 1970. However, the game was still far from being recognized as the most popular variation until Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event – turning his $40 online satellite buy-in into $2.5 million on national TV.
Since then Texas Hold’em became a common choice for amateurs as well pros.
Game Play
- Hold’em uses forced bets which are called blinds. The player to the left of the dealer/button is the small blind and the next player to the left is the big blind
- Each player is dealt two cards face-down which are referred to as hole cards. The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind. Each player has three options for betting – either call, raise, or fold
- After the first round of betting, the dealer puts three cards face-up in the middle of the table These cards are referred to as community cards or flop cards. Once the community cards are put on the table, another round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer
- The dealer then deals a fourth community card called the Turn, followed by another round of betting, and finally, a fifth community card called the River which is followed by the final round of betting
- The player who has the best 5-card poker hand wins (comprising of any combination of their 2 hole cards and 5 community cards)
Pros and Cons
Pros-
- Simple rules
- Easy to learn
- You can always find a table as per your need
Cons-
- Since it’s the most popular game, the standard/level is always high
Variations
Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple are the two variations of Texas Hold’em. The gameplay is similar to Hold’em except for these important differences –
- Unlike Hold’em, each player is dealt three hole cards
- In Pineapple, players must discard one of their hole cards before the flop
- In Crazy Pineapple, players wait until after they see the flop to discard one of their hole cards
Omaha Poker
The second most popular game of Poker in the current times is Pot Limit Omaha (PLO). Also, PLO is the second game after Texas Hold’em which beginners learn to play. Omaha Poker is quite similar to Hold’em in the way it is played. If you know the gameplay of Hold’em, it would be quite easy to understand the Omaha Poker.
The major difference between Hold’em and Omaha is in the distribution of hole cards. In Hold’em each player is dealt two hole cards, whereas in Omaha each player is dealt four hole cards.
Game Play
- PLO uses blinds and five community cards plus all the betting rounds are exactly the same as Hold’em including the flop, turn, and river.
- Four hole cards are dealt in the beginning. You must use exactly TWO of your hole cards along with three community cards to make the best five-card poker hand.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The four-hole cards add on to the action as you can make way more hands and generally, there are lots of bluffing
Cons
- The platforms offer PLO as their second most popular poker variant with far fewer tables running than Texas Hold’em
Variations
Omaha has two popular versions –
- Omaha Hi (PLO)
- Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo is a “split-pot” version of Omaha poker. In this version, players compete for “best high hand” and “best low hand” of the pot. Straights and flushes are ignored for the best low hand in this game. The best low hand is A-2-3-4-5.
If there is no qualified low hand, the best high hand wins the whole pot. Similarly, the pot is split when several players have the same winning hand.
In terms of popularity, Omaha Hi-Lo is nowhere near to Omaha Hi (PLO). This variant of the game is slightly complex as you have of both the “high hands” and “low hands” combinations.
There’s one basic advantage of playing Omaha Hi-Lo i.e. as the pot is divided into two parts – the highest and lowest hands, it’s subsequently easier to win (a portion of) the pot in any given hand.
Seven Card Stud Poker
7- Card Stud Poker was once the most popular poker variant in the world but has lost its popularity in the current times to Holdem and Omaha Poker. This variant of the game can be played between two to eight players and does not involve a flop.
Origin
7-Card Stud Poker is considered as the “purer form” of the game by the conventional. The game dates the back to mid 1800s and is said to have originated in America’s Mid West. It was the most common and popular variant of poker until 2003 when Texas Hold’em saw a boom. 7-Card Stud is now mainly preferred by the casual poker players who prefer slower poker games.
Game Play
- Unlike Holdem and Omaha, there is no blind in 7-Card Stud Poker. However, there is a forced bet referred to as “antes” by every player before receiving any cards. The ante is usually sized as 1/5th to 1/10th of the small bet.
- Each player pays an ante and receives three cards, two face-down and one face-up. The one face-up card is referred to as “door card”.
- The player with the lowest door card is forced to “bring in”. Bring in is usually sized about 1/3 of the small bet at the table.
- The player with the lowest door card also has the option to “complete” meaning they bet one small bet.
- The first round of betting continues clockwise and each player has three options – fold, call the bring-in, or raise.
- After the first round of betting, another card is dealt face-up to each player. This is called “fourth street”.
- The second round of betting begins with the player showing the highest-value hand with their up-cards and moves clockwise around the table.
- This continues with everyone receiving another face-up card referred to as “fifth street” and another on “sixth street”.
- Finally, “seventh street” is dealt as each player receives their seventh card face-down.
- After the last round of betting, there’s a showdown and the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- If you keep track of which cards have been folded, you can surely have a big edge over your competitors
Cons
- This variant comes with a limit betting structure
- Slower and boring than other variants of the game
- It is not easy to find a running table as compared to Hold’em and Omaha due to its less popularity
Variations
7 Card Stud Poker and & 7-Card Stud Poker Hi-Lo are the two variants of this game.
7-Card Stud Poker Hi-Lo has similar mechanics to the other Hi-Lo variants i.e. the half of the pot goes to the lowest hand.
2-7 Triple Draw
This can be referred to as the inverse of the regular Poker games i.e. the worst hand you can hold in 2-7 Triple Draw is a Royal Flush. Deuce to Seven Triple Draw or 2-7 Triple Draw is a 5 card draw low ball form of the game. This is a 6 player maximum game and each player has to make the best lowest hand to win.
What is a Draw variant?
In draw variants of the Poker, players have the option to discard cards from their hand and replace them with cards from the deck.
In 2-7 Triple Draw Poker, the draw typically occurs three times.
What is lowball hand ranking system?
The simplest way of understanding a lowball hand ranking system is with the phrase “worst hand wins”. However, there are different ways of measuring lowball hands.
Basic hand ranking breakdown of 2-7 Triple Draw Poker
- The lowest hand wins.
- Aces are considered high
- Straights and flushes count against the hand
- The best hand is an unsuited 2-3-4-5-7
Game Play
- Similar to Texas Hold’em, this variant of poker also uses a dealer button and blinds
- Five cards are dealt with each player. The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind.
- After the betting rounds, each player can draw up to five new cards.
- There are four betting rounds with three draws.
- After the final betting round, there’s a showdown to see who wins.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- This is the best variant to play if you are bored of Texas Hold’em
- If you love bluffing, you will love 2-7 Triple Draw Poker. As there are no community cards and no face up-cards, it becomes quite easy to bluff.
Cons
- Lesser number of people and tables in comparison Hold’em and Omaha
Variation
There is one variation to this game form – No Limit 2-7 Single Draw
This variation of the game only has a single draw and also has way more bluffing and action. The gameplay is similar to 2-7 Triple Draw version with a couple of important exceptions-
- You can bet and raise any amount up to your entire stack at any point in time.
- There are two betting rounds – one before and one after the draw.
Razz Poker
Razz Poker is relatively easy to play if you understand the rules of 7-Card Stud Poker. Razz Poker is a lowball game in which the card and hand rankings are flipped upside down. It is a form of poker where players have to make the worst hand possible to win. Additionally, Aces are counted as low in this variant. So, the winning or best hand in Razz Poker will be A, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Razz is not that much popular and you will find this variant only on platforms which offer mixed games. While it is almost identical to Stud Poker let’s check the gameplay of this variant.
Game Play
- Aces are considered low in Razz and straights and flushes don’t count
- Razz Poker follows the exact same betting patterns as of Stud Poker i.e. antes, bring-in, completion, small bet and a big bet
- Gameplay works the same as Seven Card Stud with just one change i.e. the player with the HIGHEST door card brings it in.
- Also, on later streets betting begins with the player showing the LOWEST traditional poker hand
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to learn
- If you love slow-paced Poker Games you will surely love Razz Poker
- This variant offers you a big edge if you keep track of cards
Cons
- The game is too slow and you may find it boring
- If you don’t like betting limit then you will surely not like Razz Poker
5 Card Draw Poker
5 Card Draw Poker is one of the most basic variants of the game. It is a form of draw poker in which you have to make the highest ranked 5-card poker hand. The game involves only one round of drawing and two rounds of betting.
5 Card Draw Poker involves blinds like Hold’em and Omaha. So, let’s check out the gameplay
Game Play
- Each player is dealt five cards. The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind.
- After betting, one round of draw comes into play i.e. each player can exchange any number of their cards for new cards, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
- After the draw, the second round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer.
- After the second round of betting, it’s time for the showdown. The best five-card high poker hand wins the pot
Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can play more hands per hour in this variant than you would in some other forms of the game
Cons
- It can be difficult for beginners as you can’t see any of your opponent’s cards and there are no community cards
- The live games and tables are lesser in number as compared to other popular variants
Chinese Poker
Chinese Poker is quite different from all the other poker variants. This is an exciting form of poker and doesn’t follow any of the traditional patterns. It is a beginner-friendly game and only requires a basic understanding of poker hands.
Origin
Chinese Poker was arguably popular during the mid 1990s. WSOP events in 1995 and 1996 hosted Chinese Poker but since then, there have been no Chinese Poker events hosted at the WSOP. Typically played as a four-person game, it can also be played with two or three people also.
Game Play
- The game is played with four players. Each player is dealt 13 cards and must arrange them into three different poker hands.
- The front hand also referred to as top hand, is made up of three cards and must be the lowest-ranking poker hand of the three.
- The middle hand is made up of five cards and must be a higher-ranking hand than the top hand.
- The bottom hand is also made up of five cards and must be the highest-ranking hand of the three.
- Each player’s top, middle and the bottom hand is compared to his opponent’s top, middle and bottom hand.
- A player wins the hand based on how the hand measures up against the opponents
- You win one point for each hand you win against each player.
- There are also options for special royalties for big hands or scooping all three hands.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- It’s more of a recreational game than other variants of the game
Cons
- The scoring system can be difficult for beginners to understand
- Not many platforms host this variant of the game
Variations
There is one variation to this form which is known as Open-Face Chinese Poker. The gameplay is quite similar with just a couple of changes to make it more interesting.
- Instead of getting all 13 cards at once, each player starts with only five cards
- Each player then draws one card per turn from the deck and continues to build their hands.
HORSE Poker
HORSE is an acronym for Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, 7-Card Stud, and 7-Card Stud Eight-or-Better (Hi/Lo). This is a mixed game form of Poker which involves five different variants in one which are –
- Hold’em
- Omaha Hi-Lo
- Razz
- Seven Card Stud
- Seven Card Stud Eight or Better (Hi-Lo)
The interesting thing about this variant is that each game is played for one orbit before moving on to the next in order. The winner of the first $50,000 HORSE Championship is Chip Reese. Reese along with many poker pros considers HORSE Poker a true test of a player’s acumen.
HORSE is often played in high stakes live games and tournament series like WSOP. This poker variant also serves as an ultimate test for one’s true poker ability by combining multiple forms. The standard HORSE game or tournament usually runs 8-handed.
Game Play
- The games are played in order i.e. first Hold’em, then Omaha Hi-Lo, then Razz, then Stud and finally Stud Hi-Lo
- All variants of the game are played as Fixed Limit, with the same stake structure used across each variant
- If you play this variant online, the current game will be listed at the top of the table border to help you out.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- This variant removes the monotony from the game
- You can play different variants in one sitting
- If you are strong in all the variants, you can get a big edge over other players
Cons
- This is surely not for the beginners
- If you don’t like fixed limit games, you might not love playing HORSE
Variations
The other common variations of mixed games are – HOSE, SHOE, Drop Razz, etc.
Badugi Poker
Badugi is a form of draw poker which is action-packed and gaining popularity these days. It is also known as Badougi, paduki or padooki. Badugi uses a dealer button and blinds like Holdem with hand values similar to lowball. There are three rounds of draw and players can trade up to four cards during each round.
Origin
There is no confirmed theory of the origin of Badugi Poker. Some people in Vegas say the game originated with poker pro Paul “Eskimo” Clark, who reportedly brought the game back with him from his military service in Vietnam. Some say it came from North America as it was reportedly played as “Offsuit Lowball” in the 1980s in Winnipeg.
Game Play
- Four cards are dealt face-down with betting starting from the left of the dealer
- After the first round of betting, players can exchange up to four cards for new ones.
- There are a total of three draws followed by a final betting round.
- The lowest unsuited, unpaired hand wins.
- Aces are considered low and the best possible hand is Ace-2-3-4 of all different suits.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The gameplay is quite similar to 2-7 Triple Draw.
- Easy to play if you know the game of 2-7 Triple Draw
Cons
- Finding live Badugi table is very rare
- Not many platforms offer this game
Variations
Baduci is a mixture of Badugi and 2-7 Triple Draw. Here’s how it is played –
- Each player gets five cards
- The gameplay is similar to 2-7 Triple Draw and Badugi.
- In the end, the pot is split with half going to the best 2-7 lowball hand and half going to the best Badugi hand.