When talking about Poker variations, Texas Hold’em is probably the first name that pops up in your head. However, there are multiple variations in Poker that can’t be ignored. Games like Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and more are also quite popular in land-based and online casinos. There are even variations like HORSE and 10 Game Mix that combine different games into one.
Every variant differs in rules, style, length, and complexity. In this article, we will take you into the world of Poker variations and list the top 5 variations in Poker games.
Best Types of Poker Variations
Poker can be mainly categorised into three types- Draw Poker, Stud Poker, and Community Card Poker. Most variations fall under these three categories. We have listed the top 5 variations in Poker games that are dominating land-based and online casinos. Let’s take a look.
Texas Hold’em Poker
It is the most popular Poker variation and the perfect starting point if you are new to the world of online Poker. Texas Hold’em is categorised under the Community Card Poker games where each player is dealt a certain number of cards and all players share the common community cards. It is played in the following steps-
- Pre-flop: Two face-down hole cards are dealt to each player.
- The Flop: Three face-up community cards are dealt at the centre of the table.
- The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt.
- The River: The fifth and final community card is dealt.
Players can use any combination of the 2 hole cards and 5 community cards to make the best possible 5-hand combination. Rounds of betting take place in stages and the player with the best hand who hasn’t folded wins the game.
Omaha High
The second most popular Poker variation is Omaha Hi. The ‘Hi’ refers to the highest hand taking the entirety of the Pot. It is usually played as a Pot Limit game and is mostly known as Pot Limit Omaha.
The gameplay and rules are similar to Texas Hold’em but with an added twist. Instead of two-hole cards, players are dealt four-hole cards at the start of the game. However, they can only use two hole cards with the three community cards to form the best hand. There is no folding in the game and everyone has to play to the end. Similar to Texas Holdem, there are five community cards- the flop, the turn, and the river. The player with the best hand wins the showdown.
Seven-Card Stud
Before Texas Hold’em became the no.1 Poker variant, Seven-Card Stud was the king. It is a complex game and requires skill to ace. Much different from the previously mentioned games, 7-card stud doesn’t feature any flop or community cards. Each player in Stud received their own hand. The game starts with two face-down cards and a third face-up card.
Every player is dealt seven cards in total( three face-down and four face-up). Players have to choose the best five-card combination from their seven cards. Players reveal their cards during betting and by the last round of betting, everyone reveals their cards. The best five-card combination wins the game.
Five-Card Draw
In Five-Card Draw, 5 cards are dealt to every player. The objective is simple, make the best 5-card hand possible.
Every player is dealt five cards and the betting round starts. After placing their bets, players can exchange up to three of their cards. Several rounds of betting take place and the player with the best hand wins the game.
Players often have to gauge the other player’s hands to determine the quality of their hand. For example- the number of cards your opponent draws can be an indicator of their hand.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo is quite similar to Omaha Hi and is also commonly known as Omaha-8 or Eight or Better. The only exception is that the pot amount is equally divided into the highest and lowest hand in the game. Players can use different combinations of the cards in hand to make the highest and the lowest hand.
However, there are certain conditions to qualify as the lowest-ranking hand. The lowest hand must be ranked 8 or lower. Straights and Flushes don’t count against a hand in this game. While the game is not as popular as Omaha Hi, it is still found in tournaments, events, and select online Poker rooms.
These are the top 5 variations in Poker games. If you want to dive into the world of online card games and are looking for a game to start with, we recommend choosing Texas Hold’em as it is one of the easiest and most popular versions of Poker.
Final Words
The increased demand for Poker game development has given rise to a number of variations. If you are looking for a variation in Poker to start your journey, you can choose one from the above-listed options. Aside from these options, there are a ton of other Poker variations like Badugi, Razz, HORSE, Chinese Poker, Video Poker, etc. All of these variations feature different gameplay and rules. The variations we have listed provide the most similar experience to classic Poker. Moreover, these are also some of the most common variations played in tournaments.
