Online poker can be a complex game, with variations and differences in rules between sites or even the same site at different times. It’s not uncommon for players to feel confused, and unable to find information about what game is being offered or how it works.
Thankfully, there are plenty of online resources that explain the ins and outs of different poker card games. If you’re brand new to online poker, however, it can be overwhelming trying to absorb all that information at once. That’s why this article is here to help you out – by giving you a quick overview of 7 poker variations you need to know about!
- 7 Card Stud
In its most basic form, 7 Card Stud is a No-Limit Texas Hold’em variant in which each player is dealt 7 cards at the beginning of the hand. You use all 7 cards to make your final hand, and there are no community cards.
This variant is a great way to introduce people to No-Limit Texas Hold’em without as much pressure, as players can’t get stuck for a big bet if they miss their hand. It’s also a great way to practice your hand reading skills and to try out different betting strategies, as you’ll have more information to work with.
- Conditional Hands in Hold’em
In the most common form of Texas Hold’em, hands are determined by the highest card showing in your hand. There are, however, some online poker tables that offer “conditional hands” as an option. In this variant, hands are determined by the highest card showing in your hand and the highest card on the board.
The most common example of this is the “ace-to-five” rule, which states that in a board without a pair or a straight, a pair of Aces is only a pair of aces and not a pair of Kings. To many players, the conditional hands rule makes a lot of sense, as it’s a great middle ground between the standard rules and a more complex system such as “board reading”. It’s also worth noting that some rooms offer “board reading” as an option, which is even more detailed than conditional hands.
- Omaha High-Low
In this variant, players are dealt 4 hole cards and 3 community cards like in standard Omaha. The difference is that in Omaha High-Low, you have to organize your hand into two hands: a high hand and a low hand. The high hand is made up of your 4 hole cards, and the low hand is made up of your 2 remaining cards.
Your low hand must be at least as low as 8-low to count toward your final hand. This is a great variant for players who are new to Omaha, as it simplifies the game and makes it more approachable. Aside from that, though, it has the same skill requirements as standard Omaha, just in a different format! Omaha High-Low is especially popular at No-Limit Texas Hold’em tables, as it brings together the two most popular poker variants.
- Omaha Hi-Lo
In this variant, you have to organize your 5-card hand into a high hand and a low hand. Your high hand must be at least as high as 8-high and your low hand must be at least as low as 8-low. This is a great variant for players who are new to Omaha, as it simplifies the game and makes it more approachable.
Aside from that, though, it has the same skill requirements as standard Omaha, just in a different format! Omaha Hi-Lo is especially popular at No-Limit Texas Hold’em tables, as it brings together the two most popular poker variants.
- Let It Ride
Let It Ride is a Limit Texas Hold’em variant in which the initial bet is the same as the amount of the pot. In other words, when the game begins, the dealer puts an amount equal to the current pot amount in the middle.
You can then “let it ride”, betting the same amount as the pot, or you can “take it down”, putting the same amount back in your stack. The game ends when there is just one player left in the hand, and that player gets the pot and everything that was bet on the hand. Let It Ride is a great variant for players who want to earn money, but might not be comfortable betting all-in.
It’s a great variant for creative players, too, as you can try out some different betting strategies, like betting more with strong hands, and less with weak hands. Let It Ride is also a great game for beginners, as you don’t have to be as aggressive as you do in standard Texas Hold’em. You can be more cautious and still be successful.
- Badugi
Badugi is a form of Lowball Texas Hold’em in which players try to make the lowest hand they can by using 4 hole cards and 3 community cards. Unlike in Lowball, there is no “revoking” of hands – a Badugi hand is always a Badugi hand, no matter how low it is. Badugi is a great variant for players who want a break from Texas Hold’em. It’s also a great game for beginners, as there are fewer high-level strategies associated with it compared to Texas Hold’em.
It’s also a good game for more advanced players who are looking for a change of pace, as it’s a very different game from Texas Hold’em. Badugi is also a game that’s often offered at Badugi tables, which are specific tables that only offer Badugi in a multi-table tournament setting.
- Hex High-Low Poker
Hex High-Low Poker is a hexagonal version of the classic No-Limit Texas Hold’em variant. It’s played in a hexagonal table with hexagonal cards, and it only has 6 players at the table (3 on each side). At the beginning of the hand, each player receives 6 cards.
They then discard two cards, and the dealer gives them two new cards to replace the discarded cards. At the end, you need to make two hands: a “high hand” and a “low hand”. Your high hand is made up of the 6 cards you get at the beginning of the hand. Your low hand is made up of the 2 cards that you get at the end of the hand.
Summary
If you’re going to play poker online, it’s important to know the different rules and variations of the game so you don’t get caught off-guard. 7 Card Stud is a No-Limit Texas Hold’em variant in which each player is dealt 7 cards at the beginning of the hand.
Conditional hands are a variation of Texas Hold’em in which hands are determined by the highest card showing in your hand and the highest card on the board. Omaha High-Low is a game in which players have to organize their hand into two hands: a high hand and a low hand. Omaha Hi-Lo is a similar game that also requires players to organize their hand into two hands. Let It Ride is a Limit Texas Hold