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Poker Variations

You can find many different takes on classical Poker variants in today’s online casinos, with minor differences between the control format, betting limits, and payouts. The most popular ones are as follows:

• Casino Hold’Em – Basically Texas Hold’Em in a casino format, this is the most common type of Poker found online. The rules are the same, i.e. you are dealt two hold cards and three “community” cards, but the difference is that you’re playing against the dealer.
• Omaha – A game similar to Texas Hold’Em, in Omaha Poker you are dealt four cards instead of two but still have to draw three from the “community” to make your hand. The decision which two cards to discard is yours, thus giving you more control and better odds of getting a winning hand.
• Pai Gow – A Poker version of the Pai Gow Domino game, this is an exotic game of player vs. dealer. The biggest difference is that you are dealt seven cards that you have to split in two hands (high and low) and face them against the dealer’s hands per the games rules. The payouts are also often 1:1.
• 3 Card Poker – An increasingly popular variant, at 3 Card Poker you start with 3 cards, face up, while the dealer has the same number but face down. You then decide whether you want to take on the dealer with another bet or fold. To win a hand, the dealer has to “qualify” and then lose to your hand.
• 7 Card Stud – 7 Card Stud was the game before Texas Hold’Em came along. The format states that you start with two hole cards and one up and then go through four rounds of up-cards to make your hand. The 7 in the name is because you can have up to 7 cards to make a 5-card winning hand.
• 5 Card Draw – A variant where you can draw and discard any of the 5 cards in your hand to make your winning hand.
• Tequila Poker – A simplified variant where you get four cards, face up, and decide whether to fold or go for Tequila Poker or High Tequila. If you go for High Tequila, you will wager on your five card total, while Tequila Poker will have you compare your Poker hand to the dealer’s.
• Omaha Hi/Lo – A mix between Pai Gow and Omaha where you have to make two hands (“hi” and “lo”) out of four dealt and five “community” cards. To qualify, your “lo” hand mustn’t have cards that are higher than eight.

Interesting Facts about Poker

• The cards suits were reportedly designed by the French to represent the different social classes at the time: Clubs = peasants; Spades = Nobility; Diamonds = Traders; and Hearts = Clergy.
• The exact origin of Poker is subject to much debate. Mentions of similar games date back centuries ago but the first gambling versions appear in writing as late as the 18^th
• One famous coincidence in professional Poker is Doyle Brunson’s (a.k.a. Texas Dolly) two championship titles in the WSOP (World Series of Poker) main event. Brunson won the main event two times in a row, in 1976 and 1977, with a very similar hand of 10 (Spades) and 2 (Spades in 76 and Hearts the next year).
• The title for the biggest prize pool in Poker tournament history goes to the 2006 WSOP main event, where the total prize amounted to $82.5 million.
• The origin of the name “Dead Man’s Hand” for the A-A-8-8 hand of black suits is reportedly due to Wild Bill Hickok, who was shot during a Saloon Poker game while holding the exact combination.  

Conclusion

Poker is a game that has remained popular for over 2 centuries and to no surprise. With an easy to understand format and a challenging mix of luck and skill, this is a game where even newcomers can hit it big, as the WSOP has shown us thus far. And now that it’s available whenever you want and often for very low entry wagers, it’s hard not be tempted to earn some pocket money or even make a career out of this challenging game.

Poker has become one of the most played online card-games and in real life there are millions of players playing on a weekly base. For sure there are some great tournaments organised in your area too!