subject: Some Poker Game That Are Popular And Interesting [print this page] With the advent of online poker rooms, more and more players are able to both play the game online and become familiar with the different variations of the game. Although the specifics of each game may differ slightly, the main concern is the same: complete the best hand and win the pot.
Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha Hi
By far the most popular of poker variations, Texas Hold 'Em is played worldwide online and live, from small stakes games in kitchens to astronomical games played in elite casinos. Hold 'Em has become so popular because it is incredibly easy to learn the hands move much quicker than in other variations. It can be played with only two people or as many as eleven. Players are dealt two cards as a starting hand and then five community cards are dealt face up on the table. The object of the game is to make the best possible hand using the starting hand in conjunction with the community board. During the process of playing a hand, there are four betting rounds interspersed. As new cards are introduced, the player with the best hand can change rapidly. This leads to aggressive betting to try to end the hand while a player is ahead and can create large pots to win.
Omaha Hi is very similar to Texas Hold 'Em with one major difference - instead of two cards being dealt to each player, in Omaha everyone receives four. The actual gameplay is exactly the same using four rounds of betting and the community board of five cards. However, whereas in Hold 'Em a player does not necessarily have to use his hole cards, in Omaha a player must use two cards from his hand and two cards from the community board. With the extra two cards there are many more possibilities of making a high quality hand. Because of the potential for many draws, pots escalate rapidly, making Omaha Hi one of the best games for action in poker.
Other Variations
Seven Card Stud is a favorite game among older players due to its slower pace. It is most commonly contested by two to eight players. In Stud a player receives two down cards and one face up. Subsequently, three additional cards are dealt to each player face up and then one more down with five betting rounds between each deal of cards. The object is to make the best hand using five of the available seven cards.
One of the oldest surviving poker games is Five Card Draw. The process of playing this variation is completely different from Hold 'Em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud. In Five Card Draw, each player receives a starting hand of five cards and may choose to replace any of the cards to complete a better hand. There are only two rounds of betting, but the game is still interesting due to the increased possibility for bluffing.
Caribbean Stud Poker is not technically a poker game as it is played against the casino and not against other players. This form of poker should be avoided as it is a negative expectation game.
