The card game of poker has many variations, most of which were created in the United States in the mid-1900s. The standard order of play applies to most of these games, but to fully specify a poker game requires details about which hand values are used, the number of betting rounds, and exactly what cards are dealt and what other actions are taken between rounds.
Poker Games: The Different Types of Poker. When people think of poker, Texas Hold’em is probably the first version they have in mind. This is certainly the most popular form of poker at the moment, but there are several other variants of the game that shouldn’t be overlooked. Popular poker variants. The three most popular poker variants are spread in casinos and poker rooms worldwide and can be divided into the following groups: Draw poker: Games in which players are dealt a complete hand, hidden, and then improve it by replacing cards. The most common of these is five-card draw. Omaha Hi/Lo Poker – This second variant of Omaha Poker is designed to give players an additional chance of winning, for when you play it you will of course win the pot if you do have the highest ranked hand, however you will also win a share of the pot if you have the lowest ranked hand! The pot is divided into two equal amounts at the end of each game and both the player with the highest.
The three most popular poker variants are spread in casinos and poker rooms worldwide and can be divided into the following groups:
Here are more common rule variations:
Poker can be played in a mixed game format, for example one half hour of Texas hold 'em followed by one half hour of Seven-card stud. There are many types of mixed poker games. The most notable mixed poker variation is H.O.R.S.E. poker. H.O.R.S.E. is a mix of Texas hold 'em, Omaha high-low, Razz, Seven-card stud and Seven Card Stud Eight-or-better. Each game will usually be played for a fixed number of hands or time and then the players will move on to the next game.
Other mixed games include:
Some poker games just don't fit neatly into the above categories, and some have features of more than one of these categories. These variants are most often played in home games, usually as part of a dealer's choice format.
Stud Horse poker was banned by California statute Section 330 in 1885, although no definition was given. In 1947, the attorney general of California ruled that stud horse poker was the same game as stud poker, and later the restriction on stud horse poker was removed.
Though called 'stud', this is a combination stud/community card game that was popular at MIT in the 1960s[citation needed], in which players receive individual downcards, individual upcards, and community cards. Many variations on this are possible by changing what kinds of cards and how many are dealt in various rounds.
One difficulty with such a combination is deciding the betting order: in stud games, the player with the best upcards showing bets first in each round (except sometimes the first, where the worst upcard is forced to begin the betting with a Bring-in). In community card games, each betting round begins with the same player (because there generally are no upcards), making it more positional. Oxford stud chooses to use the players' individual upcards for determining order, which makes it play more like stud.
First, each player is dealt two downcards and one upcard as in seven-card stud, followed by a first betting round. Like stud, the game is usually played with a Bring-in, the lowest upcard being forced to pay it, and betting follows after that. After the first round is complete, two community cards are dealt to the table, followed by a second betting round, beginning with the player with the highest-ranking incomplete poker hand (as in stud) made from his upcard plus the two community cards. For example, if one player has a K upcard, and a second player has a 7 upcard, and the community cards are T-7 (T = 10), the second player bets first (since he has a pair of 7s, and the other player only has K-high). Then a second upcard is dealt to each player, followed by a third betting round, again beginning with the player who can make the best partial hand with his two upcards and the board. Finally, a third community card is dealt to table, followed by a fourth betting round and showdown. Note that as with Mississippi stud, each player has five cards of his hand exposed at this point (two of his own plus three on the board), so it is possible for a flush or straight to be the high hand for the purpose of first bet. At showdown each player makes the best five-card hand he can from the four cards he is dealt plus the three community cards, in any combination. This game is usually played High-low split.
Either of these two versions can be played in any stud high game. In High Chicago, or sometimes simply called Chicago, the player with the highest spade face down (referred to as in the hole) receives half the pot. In Low Chicago, the player with the lowest spade in the hole receives half of the pot, with the A♠ being the lowest. If the player with the highest hand also has the highest/lowest spade in the hole, then that player receives the entire pot - having won both sides of the bet.
This 7-card stud game uses a wild-card designated as whichever card is immediately dealt (exposed, or face-up) after any queen previously dealt (exposed). In the event that the final card dealt (exposed) is itself a queen, then all queens are wild. If no queens are dealt (exposed), then there are no wilds for that hand. Betting is the same as in normal 7-card stud games. Follow the Queen is a typical game variant in Dealer's Choice poker games.
In this 5-card game, the dealer gives each player 5 cards face down. After the first round of betting, each player may choose to replace zero to three cards. A second round of betting follows and then players may opt to replace zero to two cards. Upon completing another round of betting, each player may replace one card of the cards in their hand. After a final round of betting, any remaining players show their hands, and the highest 5 card hand wins. The cost of cards doubles each round. For example, if the dealer says each replacement card costs $10 in the first round, then each card costs $20 in the second round, and $40 in the final round. When players purchase cards to replace ones in their hand, they put the cost of the cards in the pot.
This game will only work with 4 players (or fewer) otherwise you will run out of cards.
Just as Oxford stud is a mixed stud/community card version of Texas hold 'em, Billabong is a mixed version of Manila. Each player is dealt two downcards and one upcard. Low upcard starts the betting with a Bring-in if you are playing with one, otherwise high card starts the betting. Next, two community cards are dealt, followed by a second betting round, beginning with the player with the best exposed partial poker hand (counting the community cards, as in Oxford stud). Then a third community card is dealt, followed by a third betting round. Finally a fourth community card is dealt, followed by a fourth betting round and showdown. Each player plays the best five-card hand he can make from the three in his hand plus the four on the board in any combination.
Shanghai is the same game with an extra hole card, but no more than two hole cards play. That is, the game begins with each player being dealt three downcards and one upcard; each player must discard one of his hole cards at some point during the game as determined ahead of time. The most common variation is to discard immediately as in Pineapple; the second most common is to discard just before showdown as in Tahoe.
Guts is a family of games that are cousins of poker rather than poker variants. They usually involve hands of 3 or fewer cards, ranked similarly to hands in poker, and multiple successive rounds of betting each of which consist of the decision to be 'in' or 'out', and each with its own showdown. The losers of rounds of guts generally match or double the pot, which grows rapidly. For more details, see Guts (card game).
Five-O Poker is a heads-up poker variant in which both players must play five hands of five cards simultaneously. Four of the five cards in each hand are face-up. Once all five hands are down, there is a single round of betting. The winner is determined by matching each hand to the corresponding hand of the opponent. The player with the stronger poker hand in three (or more) out of the five columns, wins, unless a player folds on a bet that was made. If a player beats their opponent with all five hands, this is called a “Five-O” win.
Chinese poker is a 2-4 player poker game with thirteen cards. The idea is to make three poker hands with increasing rank : two with five cards and one with three cards. If one of the hands does not adhere to increasing rank (i.e. is mis-set), the hand is declared dead and results in some sort of penalty.
Kuhn poker, using a three card deck, is more of game theory problem than an actual game people play, but it can be played by two players.
This is a game common in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Each player is dealt one card (down). The next three cards are laid face-up in the middle of the table, and as they are laid, their prices are stated by the dealer. e.g. 'Nickel, Dime, Quarter' then the stack is placed face-down next to the quarter card and a price is established for the 'Mystery' card from the face-down deck, always higher than any face-up card (e.g. 'Mystery Card, one dollar' - usually said with great drama). The 'geography' of the table resembles a classical early-20th-century urban real estate market, with cards closest to the center (The CBD) holding the highest cost
After a nominal ante, play begins. Players build their hands (up to 5 cards) one card at a time - adding four cards total to the original face-down card, and paying the kitty for each card. After the hands have been built, there is a round of wagering. The winner takes the pot.
A variant (Lady Realtor) uses queens as wild cards.
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We plan to offer rules and reviews for the many different poker games and variants available, too. In most casinos you’ll find house-banked poker games which have at least as much in common with baccarat and blackjack as they do with traditional poker. Of course, you’ll also often find an actual cardroom where folks sit around playing Texas hold’em and Omaha. Our plan is to offer information about all such games, including the following:
For the purposes of this page and this site, we’ve categorized the following games as “casino” poker games, because you’re playing against the house, not against the other players. This list will probably expand over time, as the casinos are constantly inventing and testing new games to see which ones are going to be popular. Some of these catch on, while others generate little interest and are soon retired.
3 Card Hold’em 3 Card Poker 3-5-7 Poker Asia Poker Asian Stud Bet the Deck Big Raise Stud Poker Bonus Six Boston 5 Break Poker Caribbean Stud Poker Casino Hold’em Crazy 4 Poker Dealer Bluff Deuces Wild Double Down Stud Double Draw Poker Flop Poker | Flush Rush Four Card Poker Heads Up Hold’em High Card Flush High Five Poker Hold’em Challenge Let It Ride Lunar Poker Mini Tex Mississippi Stud Mulligan Poker No-Flop Pineapple No-Fold Oasis Poker Oasis Poker Pyramid Poker Q Poker Rabbit Hunter Raise It Up | Riverboat Hold’em Poker Six Card Poker Tequila Poker Texas Hold’em Bonus Texas Shootout Three Card Mulligan Three Card Second Chance Poker Three Way Action Triple Action Hold’em Triple Shot Two Card Joker Poker Ultimate Texas Hold’em Ultimate Three Card Poker Wan Doy Pairs Poker Wild Hold’em Fold’em Poker World Poker Tour 3X Raise Hold’em World Poker Tour All in Hold’em |
These poker games are played in the traditional way–around a table, competing for your opponents’ money. In casinos, you’ll usually only see the traditional varieties being played. That means your choices are often limited to Texas hold’em and Omaha. You’ll occasionally see stud games at some of the larger casinos, too. But in home games, you’ll find a tremendous variety of poker games, including the following (which we plan to write about on individual pages, too.) Of course, any list like this will invariably be incomplete because of the wide variety of home variants that are played throughout the world.
3-5-7 Guts 5 Card Stud 7 Card Stud 7 Card Stud 8 or Better 7-27 Poker Anaconda Baseball Burn the Biffel Chicago (High or Low) Connect Four Crazy Pineapple Criss Cross Elevator Poker | Follow the Queen Guts Poker Horse In Between/Post Iron Cross Jacks or Better Kings and Little Ones Lowball Monterey Poker No Holds Barred Omaha Omaha 8 Omaha Burn | Outhouse Poker Pirhana Position Poker Pregnant 3’s Razz Roll Your Own Russian Poker Sevens Take All Shifting Sands Texas hold’em The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Three Legged Race Two More Inches |
If you have ideas about additions or corrections to this list, please let us know in the comments section below.