What different types of poker game are there? [closed]

Question

How many different types of poker game are out there? I know of Texas Hold'em and a few others which names escape me... what are the rules to these other poker games? because as much as I enjoy Texas Hold'em I wouldn't mind learning some new Poker games.

Thanks :)

Answer 1

well, basically there are many variances of poker. three families of games are much more common than others:

1. draw games:
   a. 5 card draw/triple draw - player get 5 cards and each round has the ability to replace one or more cards from his/her hand. winner in the one holding the high ranked hand.
   b. badugi - each player get 4 cards and can replace one to four cards each round. purpose is to hold 4 unsuited cards the lowest the best (A,2,3,4 offsuited is the best hand).
   c. 2-7 lowball - each player get five cards and can replace one or more cards every round. winner is the one holding the lowest hand. (2,3,4,5,7 is the best hand).

2. 7 cards games:.
   a. stud - each player gets 3 cards pre flop, one face up. there are 5 rounds of betting. after the 4 first rounds (also called streets) another face up card is given to each player. the last card is faced down. at showdown each hand is compound from 3 faced down cards and four faced up cards. winner is the one holding the best hand (compound from 5 out of his/her 7 cards).
   b. Razz - same structure as Stud , but this time the winner is the one with the lowest hand (A,2,3,4,5) . straights and flushes does not counted for high hand - only the value of the card.
   c. Stud Hi/Low - same structure as Stud. in this game the pot is split between the player with the highest hand and the best low hand. (FOR MORE INFO ON BEST LOW HAND LOOK AT tHE BOTTOM OF THE ANSWER).

3. community cards games.
   a. Texas Holdem - each player get 2 faced down cards. after a betting round, 3 cards are opened in the center faced up (called flop). after another round a 4th card is dealt face up (turn) and after another round the 5th and last card is opened (river). the purpose is to create the highest ranked hand compound from any 5 cards out of 7 cards (2 personal cards and 5 community cards).
   b.Omaha - same structure as Texas Holdem, with two major changes:

   • each player get 4 cards pre flop.
   • the hand at showdown must be compound from 2 cards of the hole cards and 3 cards from the community cards (no other combination is allowed).
     c. Omaha Hi/Low - same as Omaha. in this game the pot is split between the player holding the best high hand and the one holding the best low hand.

another sub-type of poker is all kind of games containing multiple types in one game. Those games include H.O.R.S.E, 8 game poker (H.O.R.S.E + Omaha, NL Holdem, 2-7 low-ball) and many more.

there are many other games, but those are the common games.

RULES FOR COMPUTING LOW HAND (stud hi/low and Omaha hi/low):
a player must have 5 non paired cards 8 and below in order to qualify for low hand. straights and flushes are ignored in calculation of low hand. winner is the one holding the lowest high card (i.e. A,2,3,4,8 looses to 3,4,5,6,7). if highest card is equal, the second highest card is compared and so on...

Answer 2

Well, traditionally there are four major categories of poker games: 1) Draw Games (e.g., 5- and 7-card draw); 2) Stud Games (e.g., Stud); 3) Community Board Games (e.g., Hold'em, Omaha); and 4) Novelty (Baseball, Indian, Pineapple, etc.)

Then there are two basic formats of the Game: 1) Cash/Ring; and 2) Tournaments (MTT, ST, SnG)

And three hand ranking-types of games: 1) High-Only (e.g,. hold'em); 2) High + Low (e.g., PLO8); and 3) Low Only (e.g., Razz)

And three betting structures: 1) Limit; 2) Pot Limit; and 3) No Limit

And three standard table sizes: 1) Full Ring (9 or 10 handed); 2) Six-Max; and 3) Head-Up

The three basic places/locations: 1) Casino; 2) Online; 3) Home Games

And so on...

As you can see, there are literally hundreds of combinations and variants of the game possible. Almost without exception, however, they all have one common goal: make the "best" five card hand. For most of these variants, the "best" means traditional hand rankings (e.g., a flush beats a straight). For others, "best" means the lowest possible hand ranking.

I personally suggest sticking with hold'em until you're a fairly competent player. Then add in another variant, like Omaha or Stud. Learning other games too soon can confuse more than help, but once you're very comfortable with Hold'em, the other variants will actually help you overall. Poker is, ultimately, poker, regardless of the type or variant.