To the naked eye, poker will look like a set-of-cards card game with little physical interaction, but it's all just an optical illusion. Okay, so lounging around the table—be it offline or online—isn't quite the same as scoring goals in full kit. But the emotions in poker really go over the top, particularly when you win a huge pot. or lose one. And although most players know the traditional ones, finding new versions is as much fun as how to play pai gow poker or trying out a new variant for the first time.
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Dozens of exciting variations of poker have sprung up over the years. Some became instant classics and became players' imaginations worldwide, while others fell out of favor quickly. Something that may shock you is that at poker, you don't necessarily play against other human beings—you can also play against the dealer.
We're not going to cover every single variation, but let's cover the most well-known ones.
Texas Hold'em for Everyone
Texas Hold'em is the world's coolest game of poker and the symbol of flop games. It is a monopoly at online poker rooms, representing about 90% of all seated tables.
The game comes in three forms: fixed-limit (FL), pot-limit (PL), and no-limit (NL).
Action commences with mandatory blinds (small and big) before two hole cards are dispensed to each player. Five face-up community cards are then dealt in three rounds of betting:
- Flop – first three cards
- Turn – fourth card
- River – fifth card
Each round is a pot auction, and bets, calls, raises, checks, or folds can be done by players. The thrill of Hold'em is its unpredictability—no one can reasonably know how well their hand will turn out at the showdown, which tends to instigate reckless bluffs.
Lastly, if there are more than one players remaining after the river, the cards are shown and the best hand wins the pot.
Quick 6+ Hold'em
Better known as Short Deck Poker, this variation alters the standard rules
- 36 cards in the deck (2–5 are removed).
- Lowest possible straight is A-6-7-8-9.
- Flush ranks higher than a full house (and beats sets, too, in some clubs).
- Instead of blinds, everyone antes, and the button posts a double ante.
This quickens the game and makes it action-oriented, though rooms also offer 6+ with standard blinds.
Omaha and Its Exciting Offshoots
Omaha is essentially the same as Hold'em but adds a variation: four hole cards are given to the players, and their hand at the end has to contain exactly two of them and three community cards. This adds more possibilities and more action.
The most popular version played is Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO), but Omaha is played in FL and NL as well.
Omaha Hi/Lo
The pot is split between the high hand winner and the low hand winner. The best low is A-2-3-4-5, and 4-5-6-7-8 is the worst.
When there isn't a low hand, the entire pot goes to the high hand. In rare cases, one player scoops both sides, taking the whole pot.
5-Card Omaha (PLO5)
In this, individuals are dealt five hole cards but can still make do with just two. Pot-limit allows for giant bet sizes, though it is not always possible to shove all-in.
There is even a variant known as PLO6 in which everybody is dealt six hole cards—providing even greater action.
Courchevel
This variation of 5-Card Omaha contains a twist: the first common card is dealt face up before the first round of betting. Courchevel can also be played Hi/Lo, but this requires master skills and it's harder for beginners.
Three Card Poker
As opposed to regular poker, in this instance you are playing against the dealer. Each round begins with an ante. The dealer and player each receive three cards, the player's up, the dealer's down.
The player may fold or raise. If they do raise, the dealer exposes their cards, and the higher hand is the winner.
Final Thoughts
From humble origins to the global stage today, poker has enticed players under the glow of the green table. Television coverage of World Series of Poker has millions of viewers, and poker has even become a major movie theme.
Most beginners associate poker only with Texas Hold’em, but as we’ve seen, the game offers far more. While Hold’em is a great place to start, exploring Omaha, Short Deck, or even Three Card Poker can open up new ways to enjoy this timeless game.