Poker Card Games

The poker game has a very long history in the gambling world. Some researches show that it has been around since the 16th century, and the advancements in technology haven’t stopped it from being the most popular gambling game.

Nowadays, the online gambling world is so widespread that players can find all types of poker card games at every gambling site.

If you are a newbie in the online casino world, then learning the different poker games can seem a bit overwhelming.

That is where we at BestPoker come in. There are dozens of different poker variants, some more popular than others, but it doesn’t hurt to know them all.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the most popular poker games you can play for real money along with some that you might not have even heard of.

How Many Types of Poker are There?

There are also poker classifications depending on the betting structure or betting limit. As such, we can classify poker games into the following categories:

• Fixed limit – there are fixed amounts on how much players can wager and raise
• No limit – on the opposite, here you might only see a limit in terms of the minimum bet you can make
• Pot limit – these games limit your bets and raise in terms of the total number of chips in the pot at the time you are about to bet or raise

Finally, we need to mention one last differentiation of poker games in terms of the number of players allowed on the poker table:

• Full ring – the maximum amount of the different online poker rooms and tables is filled
• Shorthanded – there is a limit on the number of punters that can participate in the game
• Heads up – only two players are allowed to play against each other

List of Poker Variations

Now, let’s dive into the fun part of this article. We at BestPoker.com have made thorough research on the different poker variants you can try online.

All new players in the poker world can take a look at the list below and decide which poker game is the right one to match their taste.

Texas Hold’Em

There is arguably no person in the world that hasn’t heard of Texas Holdem, so we can safely say that it is the most popular poker game at the moment.

One of the reasons why punters love Texas Hold em is its simplicity. To get started with this exciting variant, you need to get familiar with the following rules:

• Every player that participates will get two hole cards, so no one else will see them
• Then, the dealer will spread five additional cards, but not at once. Three will be spread at once, then two rounds of one card each. Should you get to the final betting round, you can use all the cards on the table to make the best possible five-card hand
• Before and after cards are revealed, betting rounds will take place
• In the end, the best poker hand will win the pot

As you can see, Texas Hold em is a pretty simple game to learn. However, you can make your own winning strategy and the winning potential of the game can be huge.

Omaha

Omaha poker has become one of the most played poker variants in the past 10 years. Some would even say that Omaha is close to surpassing Texas Hold’em as the most popular poker game.

The basics of Omaha poker are similar to Texas Hold’em, so this game is ideal to describe next. There are different sub-variants of Omaha, but the two most popular types are:

• Pot limit Omaha
• Omaha hi-low

As for the rules of the game, you need to get familiar with the multiple betting rounds

• Pre-flop – the first betting round where you need to bet, call, fold or raise
• Flop – the second betting round, where you decide how to act according to the community card
• Turn – one more community card is dealt and it is the third betting round
• River – the final card is dealt and this is the last betting round
• Showdown – everyone needs to show their cards

Finally, remember that the same poker hand ranks apply in Omaha as Texas Hold’em.

Stud Poker

Stud games are also one of the older poker card games in the world. Up until recently, five-card stud was the most widespread, but nowadays, seven-card stud is taking over the realm.

There is a number of stud poker variants, but in each of them, you get a set of face-up and face-down cards in several betting rounds.

Stud games are also known to be non-positional, so the order in which players bet can change during the rounds.

Seven Card Stud

To begin with, you will be dealt two face-down cards (hole cards) and a third that is face-up (door card). Now, you need to decide whether to continue wagering or fold. As is the case with other poker games, the starting hand selection is very important in seven card stud, and you can create your poker strategies based on it.

As the name suggests, you will get seven cards in total – three face down and four face up. Based on the seven cards, you need to make the best possible five-card combination.

Card rankings in this poker variant are the same as when you play Texas Hold’em and Omaha, so you have nothing new to memorize.

Russian Poker

The next poker game on our list is Russian poker. One striking difference with other poker card games is that here you play against the dealer, not other players.

At the start of the Russian poker game, you will need to place your ante bet. Straight after that, you will get five hole cards, with the dealer also taking five cards for themselves. One of their cards is left exposed.

Once you get your initial set of cards, you will have the following options at your disposal:

• Fold – give up your hand
• Bet – place a bet that is twice the size of the ante
• Buy a card – an interesting option where you can buy a card for an equal amount of the ante bet
• Draw new cards – you can leave your five cards and get new ones from the dealer. The price for this is the same as the ante bet

As you can see, Russian poker differs a bit from other popular poker games. Depending on your strategy, it can be a bit more expensive to play as well.

3 Card Poker

Unlike other poker games, this poker variant required players to make the best possible poker hands with just three cards.

Playing the game is pretty straightforward:

• You need to place an ante wager and/or a pair plus wager, meaning that you will have a hand of at least a pair or better
• Then, three cards are dealt in the first round to players and the dealer. Remember that you play the dealer, not other players
• Now, you determine whether to play against the dealer’s hand or not
• If you fold, the dealer gets your ante and pair plus wagers
• If you play, your cards will be turned over to determine whether you have a better hand

5 Card Draw

Five card draw is one of the most common poker game variants you can play at online gambling sites.

As the name itself suggests, you will be dealt five cards and the first round of betting can begin. You can decide to discard up to 3 cards. An exception is if players have wild cards or aces as their last cards.

The second round of betting now begins, with the cards being revealed now. Of course, the highest poker hand wins the entire pot.

Video Poker

Video poker has plenty of variants, but the rules of it circulate around one of the simple poker games – a five-card draw.

This means that you will get five cards first. You can choose to keep the cards you want and discard the ones you don’t like, getting new ones in their place. After that, you will get the final hand.

A simple guide to playing video poker would be the following:

• Make your first deposit for the game
• Make your bet
• Hit the deal button to get your first five cards
• Discard pile you don’t want to keep
• Get a replacement for those cards
• Hopefully, secure a win

Playing this game of poker on mobile is also an option, with some saying that video poker looks even better on a small mobile screen.

Crazy Pineapple

The gameplay of Pineapple poker games is the same as Texas Hold’em, but there is a slight difference in the set-up:

• Pre-flop – players get three-hole cards, not two
• Players can discard one of the cards before the first betting round begins

However, in Crazy Pineapple, you get to keep your first card for the first round of betting. Only before the turn is dealt do you need to take one card away.

Wild Card Poker Games

Continuing with our list, we have poker games that use wild cards. A wild card is simply a card that can be used to replace another card that the player needs to make a good poker hand.

Of course, thanks to the wild card, you can make higher-ranking hands and the game becomes more exciting. More often, a joker will act as the wild card, but sometimes deuces can be declared as wild, depending on the poker variant.

There are different rules on how to play poker online, so you are well-covered even with wild card poker games.

Chinese Poker

Finally, we have Chinese Poker, a very interesting and popular poker cash game. In this game, you play against other players for the entire stack of chips that you all have. The chip stack is more commonly referred to as table stakes.

Your entire stack of chips will be up against other players, with the objective being to form three hands, commonly referred to as segments:

• a five-card back hand – needs to be better than your middle and front hand
• five-card middle hand – needs to be better than the front, but lower than the back hand
• three card front hand – needs to be lower than the above-mentioned hands

These hands need to rank better than other players for you to secure a win.

Full List of Poker Game

Frequently asked questions