If I asked right now for anyone reading this to raise their hand if they have played poker, chances are there would be a lot of puzzled faces staring at their screens with hands up in the air. That is because this game is one of the most popular card games on the planet. However, did you know that there are hundreds of poker game varieties?
While poker has many variations, they all share the same basic rules: players are dealt cards and then wager on who has the best hand. The player with the best hand at the end of the final betting round wins the pot.
Learning the other types of poker is essential for beginners. This way, they can find out which game suits their playing style and approach better. That should also mean more success in their poker endeavor.
While we won’t be listing down all the different poker varieties out there (there are even more varieties being invented as the days pass), here are seven of the most popular ones. Oh, and let’s rank how easy they are to learn on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the hardest and 5 being the easiest.)
1. Texas Holdem Poker
This is probably the most popular type of poker game. You will find it in almost all online and offline casinos today. This is a community card game where each player is dealt two cards face down (hole cards), and then five more shared or community cards are dealt face-up.
Players use their hole cards and the community cards to make their best possible hand. The best hand wins the pot.
How easy is it to learn (4/5)
The rules of Texas Holdem are not that difficult to learn. The game is mostly self-explanatory. If you have trouble understanding how the game works, simply watch a few hands being played out or sign up at GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room, and learn the Texas holdem poker rules.
2. Omaha Poker
Omaha is very similar to Texas Holdem, but there are a few key differences. In Omaha, each player receives four face-down cards (hole cards) instead of two. And then there are five community cards dealt, face-up in the middle of the poker table like in Holdem.
The big difference is that in Omaha, the player can only use two hole cards and three community cards to create their best hand.
How easy is it to learn (3/5)
Omaha is an excellent game for beginners. The rules are not that difficult to understand, and the gameplay is pretty much the same as Holdem. The only difference is that you have four cards instead of two and must use exactly two of your hole cards.
3. Seven-Card Stud
This is one of the oldest poker games around. It was once the most popular form of poker in North America before Texas Holdem took over. Each player in stud poker has face-up cards (exposed) and face-down cards (hidden). There are five betting rounds, and the best five-card hand wins the pot.
How easy is it to learn (4/5)
If you can understand the basic rules of poker, you can quickly learn how to play Seven-Card Stud. This game is great for beginners because it is straightforward to follow.
4. Razz Poker
Razz is a variation of stud poker to make the lowest possible hand. The Ace is always low in Razz, and the best hand is 5-4-3-2-A. Like stud poker, there are seven betting rounds, and the best five-card hand wins the pot.
How easy is it to learn (3/5)
Razz is an excellent game for beginners because it is similar to stud poker. The only difference is that you are trying to make the lowest hand possible instead of the highest hand.
5. Five-Card Draw
This is the most basic form of poker, and it is what most people think of when they think of poker. In Five-Card Draw, each player is dealt five cards face down (hole cards), and then there is one betting round.
After the betting round is over, players can choose to “draw” or replace any number of their hole cards with new cards from the deck. Then in the next round of betting, the best five-card hand wins the pot.
How easy is it to learn (5/5)
Five-Card Draw is a straightforward game that is excellent for beginners. The rules are very easy to understand.
6. Badugi Poker
Badugi is a relatively new game that is becoming increasingly popular. It is a draw poker game that aims to make the lowest hand possible. The Ace is always low in Badugi, and the best hand is 4-3-2-A. Each player is dealt four cards face down (hole cards), and then there is one betting round.
After the betting round is over, players can choose to “draw” or replace any number of their hole cards with new cards from the deck. There is then another round of betting, and the best Badugi hand wins those coveted poker chips.
How easy is it to learn (2/5)
Badugi is not a good game for beginners even though it is very similar to Five-Card Draw. There are key differences in both the strategies used and your aim for the lowest hand possible instead of the highest hand.
7. HORSE Poker
HORSE is an acronym for the five poker games played in a HORSE tournament: Holdem, Omaha, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Eight-Or-Better (Seven-Card Stud High/Low).
In a HORSE tournament, each game is played for one complete orbit around the table, and the next game is played. This continues until all five games have been played.
How easy is it to learn (1/5)
HORSE is a bad game for beginners because of the different types of games played in a tournament. In addition it can take a long time to complete a HORSE tournament.
Time to Start Sharpening Your Poker Game!
Now that you know the basics of how to play poker, it’s time to start sharpening your skills. The best way to do this is by playing against other players. There are also many free online poker sites where you can practice your game without risking any money. So what are you waiting for? Start playing global poker today and see how far you can go!
