The captivating world of poker offers a variety of games beyond the classic seven-card stud. Texas Hold’em might reign supreme, but other exciting variants entice players with unique twists on hand formation and betting structures. 

Here’s a breakdown of the rules for Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and a few other popular choices:

Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em is the most widely recognized poker variant, a staple in online poker rooms and brick-and-mortar casinos alike. Here’s how it works:

• Two Hole Cards: Each player receives two cards face down (hole cards).

• Community Cards: Five cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table (flop, turn, and river).

• Building Your Hand: Players use any combination of their two-hole cards and the five community cards to create the best five-card poker hand.

• Betting Rounds: There are several rounds of betting throughout the game, where players can check, call, raise, or fold.

Omaha

Omaha offers a strategic twist on Texas Hold’em. Here’s the key difference:

• Four Hole Cards: Each player receives four hole cards face down, but must use exactly two of them in combination with three of the community cards to form their best five-card hand.

This variation allows for more hand combinations and potentially stronger hands compared to Texas Hold’em. However, it also adds complexity, requiring players to consider multiple combinations during each hand.

Other Popular Variants To Explore:

• Seven-Card Stud: Players receive two hole cards face down and five cards dealt face-up one at a time. Betting occurs after each face-up card is dealt. Players use their best combination of five cards from the seven dealt to form their hand.

• Razz: A lowball game where players aim to make the lowest possible five-card hand using the traditional hand rankings in reverse order (e.g., A-2-3-4-5 is the best possible hand).

• Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO): Similar to traditional Omaha, but with a pot-limit betting structure, where the maximum bet or raise is capped at the current size of the pot.

• H.O.R.S.E.: A mixed game that combines five different poker variants: Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo. Players rotate through each variant, challenging their versatility and adaptability.

• Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split: Similar to seven-card stud, but the pot is split between the highest and lowest five-card hand (using any combination of the seven cards dealt).

• Five-Card Draw: Players receive five-hole cards and can discard some or all of them to receive replacements from the deck. This variant requires strategic discarding to build the best possible hand.

• Badugi: A draw poker variant where players aim to make the lowest hand with cards of different suits.

A Few Considerations When Choosing Your Game

• Complexity: Texas Hold’em is a good starting point due to its relative simplicity. Omaha offers more strategic depth for experienced players.

• Action: Texas Hold’em and Seven-Card Stud generally have more betting action due to the limited hole cards.

• Pace: Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split can be slower-paced due to the need to consider both high and low hands.