Poker offers one of the widest range of variants of any type of game. Due to its use in the World Series of Poker “Texas Hold ‘Em” is the popular and most widely known version of the game, but it is by no means the only one. Below you can find five of the most popular forms of poker that are played today.
#1 Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud was once the most popular form of poker in card rooms across the country until it was eclipsed by Texas Hold ‘Em. Despite not being as popular as it once was it is still offered in many casinos, poker rooms and online poker sites. The player with the lowest card showing starts the better which then proceeds clockwise. To begin each player is dealt two cards facing downwards and one card facing upward. A round of betting then takes place. This is followed by three subsequent cards being dealt upward with rounds of betting in between. Finally one more card is dealt downward followed by a showdown where the players try to make the best five card hand.
#2 Omaha High
In Omaha High the players are each dealt four hole cards which only they can see. There are also five community cards dealt facing up. The player must make a hand using exactly two of their hole cards and three of the community cards. Unlike Omaha High – Low, only the high hand wins the pot in Omaha High.
#3 Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw is generally considered the easiest form of poker to learn and so it is usually the one that beginner poker players start with. The players are dealt five cards each which are all dealt facing downwards. While keeping their cards concealed a round of betting takes place. The players then decide how many of their cards they want to discard and these are replaced by cards from the deck so that each player still has five cards. The remaining player in the game which has the best hand wins the pot.
#4 Texas Hold ‘Em
Texas Hold ‘Em is the most popular and well known variant of poker. In Texas Hold’em each player is dealt two hole cards which belong only to the player. There are also five community cards which are dealt facing up. The player must use the two hole cards and the five community cards to make the best five card hand. The player can use any combination of the seven cards that they have available to make a hand.
#5 Omaha High – Low
In Omaha High – Low is a very similar game to Omaha High, the difference being that the pot is split between a high hand and a low hand. In Omaha High each player receives four holes cards. There are also five community cards which are dealt facing up. The player must make their hand using only two of the hole cards and three of the community cards. The game has four rounds of betting with the betting moving in a clockwise direction around the table.
