How Many Types Of Poker Are There
There you have it – an overview of poker tournaments, how they work, and different types of tourneys you can play. From here it’s a matter of choosing a game and getting started. If it were us, we’d choose a $5 or $10 turbo MTT with a starting stack of 1,500 and 3,000. Chinese poker and razz are two popular types which are discussed above. Chinese poker is difficult, while razz is a bit easy. If someone wants to play poker online, there are many situs poker online to choose from, but one must choose a highly rated and reviewed site.
There are a plethora of different version of poker. Some of these are very well known and played all over the world, while some are far less common. Naturally, it’s the more popular ones that are typically offered on online poker sites. These games are also generally the ones played in land based casinos and poker rooms. Texas Hold’em is the most played version, with other popular variants including the following.
In addition to the versions mentioned above, a game of poker can also be played in different formats. The biggest distinction is between cash games, where money is won and lost on each hand, and tournaments, where players all start with a certain amount of chips and the aim is to win them all. Then there’s a speed poker, a relatively new format which is played at a much faster pace.
Games can also be categorized based on the betting limit used. The betting limit basically dictates how much players can bet at various stages and has a big impact on the strategy involved. The main limits used are fixed limit and no limit, but there are others out there to choose from.
In this section on poker games we’ve provided information on all the main versions and formats. You can find details of everything we cover below.
Betting Limits
The betting limit of any particular game dictates how much a player may bet or raise relative to the stakes (when playing cash) or the current blind level (when playing tournaments). It’s important to be aware of the different limits and how they work, as they change the way a game is played quite significantly.
The following are the most commonly used betting limits and we have written an article explaining how they all work.
The main way to classify a game of poker, apart from which variant is being played, is identifying whether it’s a cash game or a tournament. The fundamental rules of whichever variant you’re playing are the same regardless of the format, but there are some key differences to the way you win (or lose) money.
In a cash game you buy in for a certain amount of money and the winner of each hand wins however much money has gone into the pot. You can leave the table at any point and take any winnings you’ve made. You can also buy in for more money if you lose.
In a tournament, you pay an entry fee and receive a fixed number of chips that is the same amount as all of the other competitors. The winner of each hand wins however many chips have gone into the pot and players are eliminated after they have lost all of their chips. The goal is to be the last remaining player or in other words to win all the chips on the table. There are several different types of tournaments with each one having a slightly different set of rules.
We’ve provided more detailed information on how cash games and tournaments work on the following two pages.
Speed poker is a relatively new format of the game that has been introduced at a number of online poker sites. It’s played primarily using Texas Hold’em or Omaha and be played using either the cash game or tournament format. All the standard rules are basically the same but it’s played at a significantly faster pace.
Whenever you fold a hand you’re automatically dealt into another one. This works by using a pool of players that are constantly moving tables rather than seating players at a specific table. It’s not as complicated as it might sound and it’s one of the most exciting ways to play poker online.
Texas Hold’em has earned its title as the world’s favorite form of poker. It’s easily the most played and featured version played at every online poker site. The majority of the time it’s the game of choice for large live tournaments and the biggest cash games too.
A significant reason for the popularity of Texas Hold’em is the simplicity of that are reasonably easy to learn. Mastering the game is much more difficult though, and its challenging nature is also a big part of its appeal too. For more details on Texas Hold’em, including its history, the best places to play online, and an overview of the rules – please see the following pages.
Omaha shares a number of similarities with Texas Hold’em. It’s the second most popular online game and it’s often favored by players that like the fact it generates a lot of action. There are a few different variations of Omaha with the two most common being Omaha High and Omaha Hi-Lo. It’s a good idea to learn the High version before Hi-Lo, because it’s definitely the simpler of the two.
You can find more details on these poker variants on the following pages.
Before the popularity of Texas Hold’em spread, Seven Card Stud used to be the most widely played version of poker among serious players and professionals. In this variant you have more information to work with than you do in others and many argue that this means there’s more strategy and skill involved, and less left up to chance.
For additional details on Seven Card Stud, please see the following pages.
Although not as popular or as well-known as most of the other poker versions we’ve covered here, Razz is still enjoyed by many players. It can be confusing when you first play because it’s a low-ball game, meaning you want the lowest value hand rather than the highest. Outside of that, though, the rules aren’t really too complicated.
You can read the full rules of Razz, along with more information on the game and some additional advice on where to play it, on the following pages.
Five Card Draw is less strategy oriented than many other poker games and it also has very simple rules. These reasons are probably why Five Card Draw is often the first type of poker that people learn how to play. It’s still a very popular game to play at home and it can be found at most online poker sites too.
Please see the following pages for more on Five Card Draw.
In mixed game formats you play multiple poker variants at the same time. The version played rotates every few hands and many consider this format to represent the ultimate test of poker playing skill. You obviously need to be competent in several different forms of poker to be successful and they aren’t really suitable for beginners or relatively inexperienced players.
The majority of you reading this will have at least one memory of relatives playing a card game on a party, a New Year’s Eve, or any other celebratory occasion.
But just like every family likes to play a different game so do the professional gamblers, and this is why casinos offer plenty variations of each game.
One of those is poker, and in this article, we will try to get all the different types of poker explained.
Texas Hold’em isn’t the only game at your disposal so learning some of the other ones will help you get a bigger freedom of choice next time you want to gamble on some poker.
The Basic Rules Remain The Same
That is correct. In the majority of the well-known Poker variations, the basic rules will remain just the same.
One of those, for example, is that there will always be a dealer to shuffle and give out the cards.
Another one is the possible combinations you can get.
These are the possible card combinations (ranked from weakest to strongest):
- High Card = when no one has at least a single pair then the person/s with the strongest card wins. Cards in order of descending power are A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.
- One pair = have a combination of two same numbers like two 7’s, two 3’s and so on.
- Two pairs = have two same combinations like both two 5’s and 6’s.
- Three of a kind = have a combination of three same numbers like three 9’s.
- Straight = have five numbers in a row like 3-4-5-6-7 or anything of that sort.
- Flush = have five numbers of the same figure, NOT colour, like an A-4-5-8-9 all of which are clubs, hearts, spades, or diamonds.
- Full house = have three of a kind and another pair like 5-5-5-6-6.
- Four of a kind = have a combination of four same numbers like four Qs.
- Straight Flush = When you have a straight which is a flush at the same time like 5-6-7-8-9 all of them being of the same figure.
- Royal Flush = the most powerful possible hand you can have in Texas Hold’em which is a straight flush of 10-J-Q-K-A. In some Poker variations, the figure of a Royal Flush can beat another.
In some specific variations, there are a few other possible combinations, but they aren’t worth mentioning because you will most likely never encounter one of them, especially in a physical or online casino.
Now regarding the moves, they will always be the same.
Call, raise, bet, fold, check, and all-in.
The rules are always the same as they are the basis of the game. If they would change then, any variation should be called something other than Poker.
For more details, read our guide to The Basic Poker Rules.
Six Types Of Poker Explained
Before we move on to the lesser known ones we would like to take a look at the all-time favourite.
1. Texas Hold’em Poker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnm_V7A-G6c
Since a very long time ago, this was, and still is the most popular variation of the game. You can find it both in online and physical casinos.
It is played both on an amateur and professional level and almost everyone who has spent some time of his life gambling has played it.
The rules are simple. At least two players are needed to start the game.
The dealer gives two cards to each of the individuals on the table, and after that, the first bets (big and small blind) are automatically bet just so that there can be a starting pot for the round to begin.
How Many Different Types Of Poker Are There
The first three cards are put down (flop), and after each of the following two betting stages, another card is put down. In appearing order, these are the turn and the river.
All these cards are of course face-up for everyone to see and thus use to get the strongest possible combination so that they can win the round.
After all of the bets have been settled, the phase of the showdown kicks in. Everyone still in play reveals his hand, and the person(s) with the best one wins the pot.
Read our guide to Bitcoin Texas Hold´em.
2. Omaha
You must have come across this particular variation if you have ever played in a casino, physical or online.
Even though it is the second most widely played Poker variation in the world, many professional gamblers believe that it is way more difficult than Texas Hold’em.
Who can blame them? If you want to find out why we are with them, then keep reading.
On Omaha, players are dealt four cards, to begin with rather than two. Immediately, this means that to beat your opponents you must get a hand way better than what you would think is good if playing Texas Hold’em.
A three of a kind or a two pair are now considered kind of bad hands.
If you were playing another type of poker, you would love to get an AK opening hand. But this is Omaha.
Something like that could mean the end of the hand for you. Unless you got another couple of K’s or A’s down, then you would be in a lot of trouble.
It is advised trying to get a straight or a full house rather than a flush or three of a kind. A four of a kind or Royal Flush, even though it is a difficult hand to get, would be amazing.
Starting out with a 7 and a nine on Texas Hold’em would be bad. But if you got a 6-7-9-10 on Omaha then you would have a very big chance of hitting an 8 that would result in a Straight.
According to professional poker players, Omaha looks easier than the majority of other popular Poker variations, but it actually may as well be the most difficult one to master.
3. Seven Card Stud
What Are All The Different Types Of Poker
Before Texas Hold’em made it to the top of the Poker ladder, the leader was the Seven Card Stud.
Things here are different, and the only thing that stays the same is how strong each combination is.
Before you can even join the game, you have to place an ante which means to buy-in the current round.
Don’t confuse that with the small/big blinds as these are placed after the round starts. The players are dealt two face down and one face-up cards to begin with.
The person with the lowest card (the one facing up) will have to bring it in. This is to place the initial bet just so that the game can start.
If two or more people have the same number, then things are determined by the suit which is easy to remember as it is based on the alphabet. Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades. See?
The first letter of each suit is increasing in alphabetical order.
After that moving to the left of the player the other ones have to decide whether to fold, call, or raise. There aren’t any cards being dealt down for all. Everything is for each player’s personal hand.
The dealer burns a card and gives another face-up card to each player. The same thing goes on and on until the last round where the 7th and also last card is dealt which this time will be face down.
The only thing a player who has been in play up to that stage is to make up the best possible 5-card combination out of his total 7 cards. The strongest one wins.
Since things here are different, the first three cards you are dealt will have better or worse chances of winning based on the other face-up cards on the table.
4. Video Poker
Since our website is all about poker, we had to include its digital form even though it technically isn’t a proper variation of the game.
In most Video Poker games, the player is dealt five face-up cards; you can choose how many to keep and how many you want to give up for another card. After doing so, you will have the final hand.
Based on how good it is you can get a multiplier on your bet.
One of the most popular titles is the Jacks or Better where you can win only if you have at least a pair of Jacks. In the same nature, 9’s or Better, 10’s or Better, and so on determine the basic logic of the game.
5. Razz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OplVkFwxuZM
In Razz instead of trying to get the best possible and strongest combination, you will need to do the exact opposite.
Get the weakest one that is.
6. Five Card Draw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfDYiAXYgsQ
Considered to be the easiest poker variation and the one most beginners learn when they start gambling.
Just like with Video Poker, players will be dealt five cards which in this case will be face down. Each player can discard cards and draw new ones for the deck.
After that another round of betting kicks in.
When all the bets have been settled the hands are revealed, and the player with the best hand wins. Small and big blinds are featured in Five Card Draw as well.
Overall
After having the top 6 of the different types of poker explained to you, starting out your gambling career must be easy. But these are just the basics.
If you want to become better regularly then make sure to check out our website every day for fresh posts and guides. The amount of useful information we can give you is infinite.
Now that you know which poker variations you can find on the internet, pick a good online casino and start winning.
You can also read our Introduction To Poker For Beginners.
How Many Types Of Poker Are There
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