Poker variations

Common Internet Poker Variations

Internet poker has different variations.  Each variation has a fundamental quality and therefore calls for an entirely different strategy.  This is why you should choose the Internet poker variation which fits you best.  There are three common poker variations – Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Seven Card Stud.  You have to know the basics as well as the intricacies of each game before you should think of deciding which poker variation to invest all your efforts in.  There are, after all, fundamental differences in each poker variation.

Texas Hold’em

If you’re planning to make a serious career out of Internet poker, then your best bet is to play Texas Hold’em first.  This variation is the most popular.  Proof of its popularity is the fact that it is played most often in tournaments such as the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tournament, and European Poker Tournament.  It is also the variation usually aired in television shows.  If you are fond of playing actual poker, then Texas Hold’em is probably the variation you play.

In Texas Hold’em, there are five community cards and two private cards.  Community cards, or face-up cards, can be used by all the players in the round.  The two private cards basically make or break a player’s hand.  You can also choose between Limit, Pot Limit, or No-Limit Texas Hold’em.

Omaha

Omaha is the next most popular poker variant.  Though not as popular as the first, many players still opt for this variant because of the range of strategies that can be employed in playing this variant.

Omaha’s rules are also very similar to that of Hold’em.  The difference is that, in Omaha, players get two more private cards or hole cards.  Therefore, players in Omaha get a total of four hole cards.  They also get five community cards.  A player’s final hand must compose of two hole cards and three community cards.

7 Card Stud

7 Card Stud is one of the earlier poker variations.  It was initially the most popular until the Texas Hold’em fever caught on.  This is the reason why most players of Seven Card Stud are usually hardcore fans of poker.  In 7 Card Stud, players are dealt three cards – two face-down cards and one face-up card.  After the betting round, three face-up cards will be dealt, one betting round after the other.  A final card will be dealt face down, with a total of seven cards dealt to players.

Other Internet Poker Variations

As a matter of fact, there are a lot of poker variations available in Internet poker.  If you are looking for a different way to enjoy Internet poker, then maybe you should try these other poker variations.  Also, you will find less players in these poker variations.  This just means that you can acquaint yourself more intimately with more people, and you can find more players committed to the game.

Razz or 7 Card Stud Low

The rules of Razz are basically like that of 7 Card Stud.  Players are going to be given seven cards.  They should produce a five-card combination from the seven cards.  However, in Razz, the winner is the player who has the lowest value of hand.   This means that cards from Ace to Five compose the winning hands in Razz.  This combination is the ‘wheel’, consisting of A, 2, 3, 4, and 5.  The system for ranking card combinations in Razz is the California System.  This rules out Flushes as the highest possible card combination.  So instead of aiming for the known highest card combination, aim for what you know as the lowet posibble card combination.

HORSE

HORSE is another poker variety that has been gaining ground.  This is probably because of its versatility.  HORSE actually stands for Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Eight or Better.  Eight or Better is also known as Seven Card Stud.  This poker variety is only played by a few poker players, primarily because it calls for expertise in all the mentioned poker varieties.

Before you play HORSE, make sure that you are familiar with all the rules of the five games.  You may win in one round with Hold’em and lose everything in another round with Seven Card Stud.

Five Card Draw

Five Card Draw is known as the earliest poker variety.  It became popular prior to the Texas Hold’em boom.  In this variety, all players are given hole cards or private cards.  Players then have the option of calling, raising or folding, as in all poker varieties.  Players can choose to discard their cards then simulatenously draw another.  This game also ends with the final phase, or the Showdown phase.

2-7 Triple & Single Draw

These two varieties, 2-7 Single Draw and 2-7 Triple Draw, are easy to understand.  In 2-7 Triple Draw, what you need to win is the lowest possible hand.  You also have the chance to draw cards three times in order to form this low ranking hand.  This is basically the same way 2-7 Single Draw works, except you only get to draw cards once.