Top 10 Poker Variants and How to Play Them

Poker, a beloved card game enjoyed by millions worldwide, has evolved into various exciting and challenging formats. Each variant offers unique rules, strategies, and experiences, making poker an endlessly fascinating game. In this article, we explore the top 10 poker variants and provide a brief guide on how to play each one.

Texas Hold’em

Overview:
Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker variant, featured prominently in major tournaments like the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

How to Play:

• Each player is dealt two private cards (hole cards).
• Five community cards are dealt face-up in three stages: the flop (three cards), the turn (one card), and the river (one card).
• Players use any combination of their hole cards and the community cards to make the best five-card hand.
• The game involves four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river.

Omaha Hold’em

Overview:
Omaha Hold’em is similar to Texas Hold’em but with a twist, offering more action due to the extra hole cards.

How to Play:

• Each player receives four hole cards.
• Five community cards are dealt as in Texas Hold’em.
• Players must use exactly two of their hole cards and three of the community cards to form their best hand.
• The game also has four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river.

Seven Card Stud

Overview:
Seven Card Stud was the dominant poker variant before the rise of Texas Hold’em and is still favored for its strategic depth.

How to Play:

• Each player is dealt two hole cards and one face-up card.
• Three more face-up cards and one final hole card are dealt to each player, making a total of seven cards.
• Players must make the best five-card hand from their seven cards.
• There are five betting rounds, one after each dealt card.

Razz

Overview:
Razz is a lowball variant of Seven Card Stud, where the goal is to make the lowest possible hand.

How to Play:

• Played similarly to Seven Card Stud, but the lowest hand wins.
• Straights and flushes do not count against a low hand, and the ace is always low.
• The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5.

Five Card Draw

Overview:
Five Card Draw is one of the simplest and oldest poker variants, often the first poker game learned by new players.

How to Play:

• Each player is dealt five private cards.
• After the initial betting round, players can discard and draw new cards to improve their hand.
• There is a final betting round after the draw, followed by a showdown.

Badugi

Overview:
Badugi is a unique draw poker variant where players aim to have the lowest four-card hand with cards of different suits.

How to Play:

• Each player is dealt four cards.
• Players can draw up to three times to replace any number of their cards.
• The goal is to have the lowest hand with four cards of different suits (A-2-3-4 of different suits being the best).

Triple Draw Lowball (Deuce to Seven)

Overview:
Triple Draw Lowball is a draw poker game where players aim for the lowest possible hand, with 2-7 being the best hand.

How to Play:

• Each player is dealt five cards.
• There are three draw rounds where players can replace cards.
• The lowest possible hand is 2-3-4-5-7, with straights and flushes counting against the hand.

Pineapple

Overview:
Pineapple is a fun and slightly chaotic variant of Texas Hold’em with extra hole cards.

How to Play:

• Each player is dealt three hole cards.
• After the flop, players must discard one of their hole cards.
• The game proceeds like Texas Hold’em with the remaining two hole cards.

Omaha Hi-Lo

Overview:
Omaha Hi-Lo splits the pot between the highest and the lowest hand, adding an extra layer of strategy.

How to Play:

• Played like Omaha Hold’em, but the pot is split between the best high hand and the best low hand.
• To qualify as a low hand, a player must have five cards ranked 8 or lower, with no pairs.
• Players use two hole cards and three community cards for both their high and low hands.

Chinese Poker

Overview:
Chinese Poker is a game of strategy and luck, often played casually among poker enthusiasts.

How to Play:

• Each player is dealt 13 cards, which they must arrange into three hands: two five-card hands (middle and back) and one three-card hand (front).
• The back hand must be the strongest, followed by the middle hand, and the front hand must be the weakest.
• Points are awarded based on the strength of each hand compared to opponents.

Conclusion

Poker offers a rich tapestry of variants, each providing unique challenges and excitement. Whether you enjoy the strategic depth of Seven Card Stud, the high-paced action of Texas Hold’em, or the intricate hand-building of Badugi, there’s a poker game for everyone. Learning these top 10 poker variants not only enhances your poker repertoire but also deepens your appreciation for this timeless game. So, shuffle up and deal – the world of poker awaits!