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At its core, poker is not difficult to master. However, the beauty of the game lies in the complexity of playing against other players, as well as enjoying the nuances brought out by each new poker variant. And there are so many poker variants to choose from.
This guide aims to introduce you to the 7 most popular online poker variants played across the globe. Experienced players and poker fans are probably familiar with most listed variants, but surely some will bring novelty and freshness to your poker experience.
Below you can find the most popular poker games you’re likely to find in a poker room, along with the basics to learn before placing chips on the table for the very first time.
Each poker type comes with some particular rules of its own, which to the untrained eye might bring slight confusion. However, each variant is incredibly easy to learn and master.
Here are the top 7 most popular poker variants online:
You can read more about each variant and where to play the games right below.
This is probably the most popular and most played poker variant today.
It’s a community card game, where players aim to form the best hand using two of their own dealt cards (hole cards) and three community cards (flop).
At the start of the game, each player is dealt two cards. These two cards are typically called Hole cards.
Following the first betting round, the dealer reveals 3 community cards which are called the Flop. These are dealt face up on the table.
All players participating in the round can use these cards in combination with their own to produce the highest-ranking hand possible. After the second betting round has taken place, the 4th community card (the Turn) will be dealt face up in the centre of the table.
The next betting round takes place, and then the dealer deals the 5th and final community card called the River.
Having gone through the final betting round, it’s Showdown time.
Remaining players reveal their cards. The best hand, composed of 2 Hole cards and 3 of the community cards, wins.
Texas Hold’em is widespread and easily accessible at a number of online casinos. One of the best online casinos where you can play not just poker but also an array of other gambling games is Revolution Casino.
Revolution Casino has a collection of Texas Hold’em poker games, including Texas Hold’em Bonus and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. There are also other variants, such as Casino Hold’em and Bet on Poker.
Play Texas Hold’em at 1xBet Casino.
Omaha is another very famous poker variant. It’s actually a variant of Hold’em, with the main difference being the change in the number of hole cards.
Thanks to its rules that are easy to understand for both novices and veterans, Omaha is becoming increasingly popular across Europe.
A typical Omaha game round begins with the card deal. In this game, each player starts with four Hole cards instead of two. It plays in the same way as described above, only imposes an additional rule.
Because Omaha is similar to Texas Hold’em, the extra rule occasionally slips the players’ mind when they switch between the two variants.
The rule in question is that the five-card hand has to be made using only two (no more and no less) of the given Hole cards, in combination with (any) three community cards.
When playing this variant for the first time, it’s easy to get carried away by the sight of 3 Aces in the hand plus an additional one among the community cards. However, this does not mean you’ve got a valuable Four-of-a-Kind combination, as you’re not allowed to use more than two of your own cards.
Omaha comes in many different subvariants, such as Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), No Limit Omaha (NLO), and Omaha Hi-Lo. The Five-Card Omaha is also known as the Big O. All these, including the standard Omaha Poker tables, are available at Ignition Casino. Ignition Casino is a world-famous poker website hosting dozens of popular poker games and tables.
Play Omaha Poker at Ignition Casino.
This game variant is actually a predecessor of Texas Hold’em, even if the latter today boasts a much bigger following.
The 7-Card Stud Poker is a game with 7 dealt cards instead of 5.
At the start of the round, the dealer gives each player two cards face down (Hole cards), and then one card face up. The player with the lowest upcard starts the betting.
If two or more should have upcards of the same rank, the first to go is determined by suit, which is one of the rare examples when suits have any bearing in a poker game.
Once the first betting round (called Third street) is complete, the dealer will deal each player a second upcard and the next round of betting (Fourth street) starts.
The action continues in the same way with the third, fourth and fifth upcards dealt to each player, until all players hold a total of seven cards.
Once the final betting round is over, there is a Showdown. Remaining players will show their cards and the best hand, composed out of five cards among each player’s seven, wins.
As one of the most legendary poker variants, 7 Card Stud used to be very popular and widespread. Today, it’s not easy to find it, although true fans are reluctant to give it up in favour of other, more accessible poker games.
Currently the best place to play 7 Card Stud are 888poker, PokerStars, and PartyPoker sites.
5 Card Draw Poker is a draw poker version. More specifically, it’s a draw version of the game of poker, in which players get to hold and discard cards, which are then replaced by other cards in the deck.
In simple terms, draw games allow punters to hold and discard cards from their hand if they are not satisfied with them, replacing them with other, new cards from the deck. This process of discarding and taking new cards takes place before the betting stage.
5 Card Draw is not the only draw game out there!
Before the start of the round, the players post the blinds – just like in Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker.
A round in this variants consists of two parts – the pre-draw and post-draw. All players participating in the round get 5 cards face down. Players then place bets and then they are free to check their cards and see which ones they would like to discard.
Once they make the decision, they can discard them and then draw new cards – from 0 to 5, there’s no limit to how many cards can be discarded and drawn in a round.
Players wishing to keep their original hand choose to standpat, or not draw anything.
Once the players are finished with drawing cards, a new round of betting begins. Once that’s done, it’s time for a Showdown.
In total, 5 Card Draw has two betting rounds only.
This variant is so interesting because it’s the most unique one on this list. Players can choose which cards they don’t like and potentially replace them with better ones. It’s such a cool concept that many casinos offer draw poker games.
One of the best ones for 5 Card Draw Poker is Bovada Casino, but you can also check it out at other sites such as Ignition and 888 Casino.
Play 5 Card Draw at Bovada Casino.
Pai Gow Poker might not be a very traditional game variant, but it’s definitely a game that deserves its place on this list.
The variant is a descendant of Pai Gow, an eponymous domino game from China. The original game is played with a set of 32 dominoes, but Pai Gow Poker uses a single card deck with one Joker.
The most curious thing about Pai Gow Poker is the use of two hands, one 5-card and one 2-card hands.
At the beginning of a round, the dealer deals seven cards to the player. Players then have to form two hands: one with 5 and the other with 2 cards. However, it is required to make the 5-card hand better in ranking than the other hand.
Card rankings are the same as in traditional poker.
Pai Gow Poker is often played as an online, RNG game. That means that there’s no dealer, and instead everything is done digitally.
Finally, the winner of the round is the player with the best two hands: for a winning round, the winner must have both hands better than the dealer.
If you want to learn more about Pai Gow Poker, check out this in-depth tutorial for playing Pai Gow Poker.
Pai Gow Poker might not be something you are used to seeing at online casinos. Frankly, it’s a common online poker variant, not too widespread in live casino circles.
Still, if you decide to play the game, you should look for it at some of the most renowned casino sites such as 888 Casino. Although 888 has a dedicated poker site, Pai Gow Poker is also available at the 888 Casino site.
Play Pai Gow Poker at 888 Casino.
3 Card Poker is one of the easiest poker variants you can learn to play online. As the name suggests, 3 Card Poker is a game with 3 cards, not 5. Hence, the goal is to form a poker hand using three cards, not 5.
Compared to other variants, it’s not played against other players, but rather the dealer. Moreover, in 3 Card Poker, players can make three different bets – the Ante, Play, and Pair Plus.
An interesting thing about this variation is that it was invented recently, in 1994. Okay, ‘recently’, as that was 30+ years ago, but it’s still considerably younger than many of the other variants here.
At the start of the round, players first place the Ante bet, and if they want, the Pair Plus bet. The Pair Plus bet pays according to the player’s hand.
Once the cards are dealt, the player and the dealer make their hands, which are then revealed. The higher hand is the winner.
Possible hand rankings in 3 Card Poker include High card, Pair, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, and Straight Flush.
You can virtually play 3 Card Poker at any online casino that has Poker. This is because the game is widespread and genuinely considered to be the easiest poker variant.
One of the best online casinos to play 3 Card Poker is LeoVegas Casino, but you can also find it at a number of other popular gambling sites such as 1xBet and 888 Casino.
Play 3 Card Poker at LeoVegas Casino.
Hi-Lo is not just one poker variant, but rather a group of variants that split the pot between two hands. In this case, PLO8 or Hi-Lo is a variation of the Pot Limit Omaha, or PLO.
In PLO8, instead of awarding the pot entirely to the highest-ranking hand, the game splits it equally between the lowest hand and the highest hand. So, the pot does not go entirely to one player, but rather to multiple players.
Generally, there is an additional condition for the lowest hand to qualify: all cards must be different, meaning there are no pairs. Also, none can be higher than an 8.
But, for this specific variant, a hand is considered low if there are three cards on the board that are 8 or lower, and the player in question is holding a pair of cards that are valued 2-8.
At the start of the game, all players are dealt four cards and then left to try to make a low and a high hand.
If it happens that none of the hands meet the low hand condition, the entire pot will go to the player with the highest-ranking hand.
Omaha Hi Lo is a very popular choice for newbies, or players who enjoy Omaha Poker. The split between the low and high hands and the fact that more than one player is rewarded at the end of the round is what draws players to PLO8 the most.
Not all modern casinos offer Omaha Hi Lo, mostly because it’s not a common poker variant for regular online casinos with modest poker offers. Instead, players are more likely to locate it at poker-targeting casinos such as Ignition Casino or PokerStars.
Online poker generally tends to be faster than poker played in a land-based casino. Some players dislike this, but many enjoy the versatility, accessibility, and flexibility online poker gives them.
And thanks to the presence of so many poker variants, playing poker online has never been easier or better. If you want to learn more about limits in online poker, such as pot limit, no limit, and fixed limit poker trivia, read this guide here. For all those looking for a guide for online poker basics, look no further than this article.
Furthermore, if you are trying to decide between live and online poker, here’s a comprehensive guide that can help you make an informed decision.
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With a career that spans over a decade now, Luka is a highly experienced writer who’s been producing content in different industries. From video games, technology, web development, and iGaming, there is hardly a niche Luka has not tapped into. He’s got a keen eye for emerging trends which comes particularly handy when preparing the content for Casino Bloke website.
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