Poker is a classic casino game that has been around for centuries. This extremely popular game has truly stood the test of time.
One of the reasons behind poker’s success and popularity is the variety of gaming options. There are hundreds of poker variations and styles to choose from.
So, what are some of the poker variations you need to try? What are the most famous poker variations on the market?
Poker variations you need to try
- Texas Hold’Em
Texas Hold’Em is undoubtedly the most famous and popular poker variation on the market. If you regularly play poker online, it is likely to be the first variation of the game you are greeted with. It can be found at most land-based and online operators.
The rules of this poker variant are pretty simple. It is an easy game to learn and play if you are a beginner or an intermediate player.
In this variation, a standard 52-card deck is used. The dealer will give out two cards to each player.
Then, the dealer will spread 5 cards on the table. These cards are known as ‘community cards’.
The community cards can be used by all players as they attempt to make the best 5-card poker hand. Players place their bets as the community cards are dealt on the table.
That’s right, in order to win, you’ll need to have the best 5-card poker hand.
When making their 5-card poker hand, players can choose not to include their original cards. Alternatively, they can use one or both of their original cards (known as ‘hole cards’).
The best possible hand a player could get is a Royal Flush.
A Royal Flush hand will include 5 cards that are in the same suit. For example, five cards in the same suit could be five diamond cards.
A Royal Flush also needs to include the following cards:
- Ace
- King
- Queen
- Jack
- Ten
You can start learning and practicing Texas Hold’Em by watching this YouTube tutorial. It provides some useful tips and strategies.
- Badugi
This poker variation is newer, so it’s not yet as famous as Texas Hold’Em. That being said, it is quickly gaining in popularity.
It is still hard to find at land-based casinos but accessible at most online operators.
Online casinos are great ways to try out new poker variations. They have a wider selection of games and more unique and original poker variants.
Badugi is a straightforward and pretty simple poker variation to learn. In many aspects, it is similar to Texas Hold’Em and Omaha Hi-Lo.
To win at Badugi, you need a four-card low hand with no pairs and four different suits. In other words, each card must be unique.
The best low hand you can have at Badugi is:
- Ace
- 2
- 3
- 4
And to have all of these cards in a different suit.
- Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo is another popular poker variant. In some ways, it is pretty similar to Texas Hold’Em and Badugi.
Texas Hold’Em, Omaha Hi-Lo start with ‘hole cards’. However, instead of receiving 2-hole cards, players receive 4 cards at the beginning of the game.
Unlike with Texas Hold’Em, players need to use exactly two of their hole cards with three community cards when playing Omaha Hi-Lo.
To win at Omaha Hi-Lo, you need to score the best high and/or low 5-card hand. Because of the game’s split-pot, both high and low hands win at Omaha Hi-Lo.
The game’s split-pot format is one of the main reasons behind its popularity and growing success.
Like with most poker games and variations, the best high hand you could get at Omaha Hi-Lo is the Royal Flush. As for the best low hand, it would include:
– Ace
– 5
– 4
– 3
– 2
Final thoughts
In this article, we listed some of the most famous and popular poker variations. We provided a breakdown of each variation and its rules.
You can now try them all out to see which one you prefer.
After testing them, we recommend exploring other poker and casino games. There are many more great poker variants out there.
There are new variations every year so make sure to keep an eye out for the latest poker releases. Now, go have fun!
