Poker is one of the most loved gambling games ever. Therefore, it is understandable that it comes with a number of variations. The main differences between poker variants are the way they play out and how much information you can get from each game. If you’re looking for great online poker sites, we have made an extensive guide on all major variations of poker. Now let’s start!
The Basics
A lot of people think that poker is just about cards. This is simply wrong as some form of skill is always going to be involved. That being said, if you want to master you’re playing skills, you should try some of these different poker variations. It would be hard to say which is better but I can recommend two of them – Texas Hold’em and Omaha High. Both are very popular in real play so there is definitely no shortage of high-quality websites offering both options.
Omaha Hi / Lo
The game is played exactly like Texas Hold’em except that the betting rounds take place at two different times. In the first round players bet by placing “high” or “low”. If you’re holding a pair, this means you only have to raise if you hold a higher than 3 card straight. If not, you need to stay below three cards in order to call. After that, everyone’s hand is evaluated once again. The difference here though is that the lower player wins if he beats last.
Texas Hold’em Poker
This version is very similar to Omaha Hi/Lo. However, instead of betting at regular intervals during each round, you bet after every round has been completed. Like its name suggests, you will find Texas Hold’em tournaments running all over the internet. If you run into one without entry fees, you can always register directly at their website. Just make sure to choose the right format depending on the requirements of your tournament. Otherwise you’ll end up losing money more quickly than you intended.
Razz
The game is based on a simple premise: you’ll always need five cards that can beat another five. Razz requires a higher level of strategy than standard poker since it allows you to make decisions throughout the entire game. What makes this variation unique, however, is that you can actually win even when dealt a poor hand. Although you’d expect a bad hand to lose against a good one, it doesn’t always work that way.
Stud
Stud hands are similar to regular poker hands except that you don’t deal yourself any cards. Instead, you must match a required number of cards to complete your hand. So if you’ve got 5 kings, you won’t actually be asked to decide whether or not they go together. You’ll still be given a chance to improve your hand by matching additional numbers. Again, this can lead to winning despite inferior starting hands. However, stud poker isn’t usually offered at land casinos. When visiting a casino, you’ll probably be asked to put down a $5 buy-in before you can open the game.
Poker Tips
Like other varieties of poker, you also need to keep track of what your opponents are doing. Unlike in Texas Hold’em, however, no specific set of rules applies to stud. Nevertheless, there are a few general guidelines you should follow:
Look At the Color Code
When dealing cards to others, pay attention to the color code. Red cards represent small pairs while green ones indicate big straights. Since red cards usually represent low cards, look to see if somebody’s bluffing with his own deck.
Get Practice
As you might imagine, there are plenty of ways to approach poker. Depending on your preference, you might prefer to try one of those types of strategies. However, sometimes all it takes is a little bit of luck. Keep an eye out for free online poker tournaments – they could be the perfect opportunity to practice playing with new poker pros and hone your skills.
Online Poker Rooms
While we often advocate playing as many games as you can manage in order to increase your chances of success, that doesn’t mean you have to play them all simultaneously. Sometimes, it’s better to focus a smaller quantity of time on making the most of your opportunities. That way, you’re less likely to waste time waiting around for good deals to come along. Still, there are exceptions where two different games will do well for you. In such cases, you’ll want to select the best option available to you at the moment. A great example of this is online baccarat and poker rooms. Both of these provide amazing opportunities for players looking to wager some money on the virtual felt. The choice between the two, however, depends largely on how much time you have available. Playing both of these games at once will only cost you precious minutes. Of course, if you’ve got nothing else going on, then why not? It can definitely add a fun twist to your day!