Different Types of Online Poker Games

Poker is one of the most versatile card games ever invented. There’s no such thing as ‘classic poker’, as every variant of the game is a story to itself. Of course, there are still some poker games that are more popular than others. Texas Hold’em is by far the most played poker variant in the world today, but there are plenty of other poker games types that are commonly played on poker sites and at land-based casinos.

In this article, we are going to talk about the most popular poker games online and explain the main differences between them. Enjoy!

Texas Hold’em

As we mentioned in our intro, Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game by a long shot. Texas Hold’em poker games can be found on almost every casino website, and they can be played in various formats, including cash poker games, SNGs, tournaments, freerolls, and more. If you’re watching a big poker tournament on television, the chances are that it will be Texas Hold’em.

Learning to play Texas Hold’em is easy. Each player is dealt two hole cards, and they use them in combination with three community cards that are placed face-up in the middle of the table. The game can be played with up to nine players on a single table.

Omaha Hi

Omaha has been playing second fiddle to Texas Hold’em for a long time, but this game is still a favourite poker variant to millions of players from all over the world. Omaha is a bit more complex than Hold’em, but it’s nevertheless easy to figure out once you play a round or two.

In Omaha Hi, players get four hole cards and five community cards. However, the difference between Omaha and other poker variants is that you must use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three community cards to form a five-card combination. These rules might take some time to get used to if you have played only simpler variants before, but once you figure things out, you will realize why so many players like Omaha Hi.

Omaha Hi-Lo

If you think Omaha Hi poker game’s rules are complicated, wait until you try Omaha Hi-Lo. This variant is also called Omaha 8 on some poker sites, and it’s played by six to nine players. In Omaha Hi, players create only one hand according to standard poker card rankings. However, in Omaha Hi-Lo, each player must produce both the high hand and the low hand.

This means that, in each round of Omaha Hi-Lo, there are two winning hands — one for the high and one for the low. Ideally, you would want to create a hand that’s best for both situations, thus picking up the entire pot.

Seven Card Stud

Seven Card Stud is often played as a home game, and it is enjoyed primarily by casual players. However, you can still find it on plenty of real-money poker sites, and there are even Seven Card Tournaments organized from time to time.

The unique thing about this poker variant is the fact that you get seven hole cards and that some of these cards are dealt to you face-up, meaning that other players can see them. However, you can also see other people’s cards and make educated decisions based on what everyone else has. Unlike Texas Hold’em and Omaha, there are no community cards in Seven Card Stud.

Five Card Draw

When searching for poker games online, you might not run into Five Card Draw that often. This is another casual poker variant that’s often seen at home games, but it’s nevertheless very fun. It is also an ideal game for beginner players who are just starting to learn the ropes and need some practise before playing poker for real money.

In Five Card Draw, each player gets five cards with the option to ditch any number of those cards and draw additional cards from the deck. Although Five Card Draw employs less strategy than some other poker variants (since you can’t see your opponents’ cards and there are no community cards features in the game), there are still ways to tell what your opponents hold based on how many cards they are replacing and how much money they’re wagering.

Razz

Razz is often described as a poker game for losers since the rules of this game reward ‘bad’ hands instead of the good ones. Namely, the goal of Razz is to create the lowest possible five-card combination out of seven cards that are dealt to you. Aces count as low, and straights and flushes do not count, so the best possible hand you can create is A, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Razz is not as nearly popular as Texas Hold’em or Omaha, but the game has been getting some buzz lately, which is why you can find it on a lot of poker sites. Razz is usually played by two to eight players.

FAQ

• What are the different poker games?

  The most popular poker games include Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw, and Razz. Of course, there are many more poker games you can find online, like Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow, Casino Hold’em, and video poker.

• How many different poker games are there?

  There are more than a dozen poker variations that you can find online or at land-based casinos. In reality, there are even more poker games than that, as some are specific to certain countries and regions.

• What is the best poker game?

  While the answer to this question varies depending on who you ask, many players agree that Texas Hold’em is the best poker game. It’s interesting, easy to learn, and it’s got just the right balance between luck and skill.

• What is the easiest poker game to learn?

  Once you understand how the cards are ranked in poker, you won’t have any issues learning the rules of each variant. Many say that Texas Hold’em is the easiest, but in our opinion, 5-Card Draw is probably a bit simpler.