Poker remains one of the most popular games in the world as millions, both online and in-person, play it. The only real challenge with getting into it is figuring out how to play the multiple varieties of the game. There are different rules that you need to be familiar with when playing each variation. While it is challenging, it’s not exactly as complex as working out advanced calculus or learning to speak Russian. So with that in mind, here are five types of poker every player should learn:
1. Five-Card Draw
Five-Card Draw, also known as Cantrell Draw, is usually the first poker variant learned by beginners because it is very simple compared to the others. In this game, each player is dealt five cards and attempts to make the best poker hand. They are given a chance to place bets, call, or fold. All the players play against each other, including the dealer. Whoever has the highest combination of cards wins.
2. Seven-Card Stud
Seven-Card Stud is one of the common poker variations played across the globe and it is easy to learn after getting the hang of the Five-Card Draw. In this variation, each player is dealt seven cards and takes a stab at forming the best 5-card poker hand possible. Of course, the thrilling part of this game is the many rounds of betting and bluffing that lead to potentially large pot money up for grabs.
3. Three-Card Poker
This has been made somewhat popular again of late because it’s the main variety in the Grand Theft Auto in-game casino. This variant of the game is considered by many to be the most exciting because of its fast paced draws. Each player is dealt three cards, and they must form the best poker combination possible. But this time, instead of each player trying to beat each other, each player plays against the dealer only. What makes this game unique from the other variations is how the card combinations rank. The combinations rank from lowest to highest as follows: a high card, a pair, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, and a straight flush.
4. Texas Hold’em
All things considered, learning to play Texas Hold’em is perhaps the most important part of any newcomer’s poker journey because it is considered to be the most popular variation. In Hold’em (as many people call it), each player is dealt two cards, and five cards are laid out on the table. The cards on the table are community cards, and each player attempts to form the best five-card poker hand from the two cards they hold plus any of the community cards. All the players try and beat each other. Just like the others, the excitement comes with the numerous rounds of betting – Big Blind, Small Blind, The River – and the pot keeps growing.
5. Omaha
As each variation was derived from the last, Omaha is basically a variation of Texas Hold’em. The difference in Omaha is that each player is dealt four cards, instead of two, and an additional five cards are also laid out on the table as community cards. Each player must form the best five-card poker hand possible, but this time they can only use two out of the four they hold, plus any three of the community cards. While the rules slightly changed, the source of the thrill remains the same – rounds of betting, bluffing, and winning the big pot.
Poker is a fun game and it can be learned by anyone. Begin your poker experience by learning these five common variations. The many variations don’t complicate the game, they simply add more ways it can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life.
