Because of the popularity of Texas Hold’Em, a lot of people don’t even realize the array of poker games that exist out there. Some people do better with certain games than others, so to increase your chances of winning, you need to figure out your strong suit. Below are some different poker games for you to consider.
Texas Hold’Em: Players are dealt two cards face down and five cards total on the board. Rounds of betting occur before the board cards are placed, after the flop (the first three cards), after the turn (the next card), and after the river (the last card). Player with the best of five cards in between the ones on the board and the ones in his/her hand wins, unless betting causes a fold. This is a great beginner game to introduce someone into the concepts of poker, betting, etc.
Omaha: Players are dealt four cards instead of two and still have the same five on the board. Players must make their winning hand out of two cards in their hand and three on the board. This creates more possibilities for combination’s, but it also makes it more likely that an opponent has a better hands. The nut flush is often a bad hand because of the amount of full house possibilities in Omaha. This game is normally played with limit betting though, so it can provide great opportunities for conservative players.
Stud: Players are dealt two cards each face down and one face up. Three more cards are dealt to each face up and the final, seventh card is dealt face down. Rounds of betting happen after the first set of cards and each card after that. Stud is often difficult to play because you can practically see the other players’ hands. This evolves into a lot of bluffing, or a lot of easy defeats. This game is also played in limit most of the time, so you can usually see a lot of cards for little investment. With all the cards on the table, you can also determine the likelihood of you getting that one card you might need for a big hand, giving you a chance to get out when things aren’t looking good.
Razz: This game is dealt and played just like Stud, but the goal is to get the worst hand possible. Disconnected cards (those that don’t make pairs) are the best, but straights and flushes don’t count against you.”The Wheel” is the best hand in this game, or any low versions of the games above, and it is comprised of A, 2, 3, 4, 5. With Razz, you just have to like playing low hands. Some people do; some people don’t.
HORSE: If you can’t make up your mind, play HORSE. There you get a round of each of the games listed above, with the last round being Stud Hi/Low (Eight or better). It’s the perfect solution for the not-so-choosy among us.
