Any online casino platform offers various betting games on its roster—from beginner-friendly slots to exciting table games. Online slot gameplay lets bettors spin the reels and wait for a winning combination to land, but table games vary. From cardless online roulette to various card games, many options are available with online table games.
The most popular card gambling game is poker. In this casino game, you are playing against other bettors, and hope for the best outcome with the hands dealt to you. The main objective of any online poker game is for you to have the best poker hand or strategy.
What makes online poker even more interesting is that it has several variants that can spice up your playing experience. With several of them being available at BC.GAME, here is a quick guide on poker variations to get you started:
Types of poker games
Poker games are undeniably one of the most played in any casino platform for the fun and thrill they provide. With its popularity over the years, it can be described as one of the staple games in the entire gambling scene.
In this game, dealers will use the deck and distribute the cards among the players. Hole cards are distributed to players that will make up a hand. Community cards will be revealed individually and matched with a betting round after each draw.
Some people play the different game types for fun, while some join a tournament to experience the game on a whole new level. Regardless of what poker variants are to be chosen by players, they are most likely to fall under these categories:
Draw Poker
This category includes games where players are issued hands hidden from their opponents. Here, players can attempt to strengthen their hands by exchanging a certain number of cards. Online poker variants that fall under this category include Five Card Draw and Badugi.
Stud Poker
In stud games, players are handed hands that include exposed and hidden cards, giving their rivals some idea of what they might have. Some stud games include Seven Card Stud and Razz.
Community Card Poker
The poker games that fall under this category are perfect for those who like using community cards. Here, creating the best hand involves players working with the community cards and the hidden cards they possess. Examples of this include Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
What are all the poker variations?
As mentioned, there are several poker variants, each providing a whole level of fun in its way. Many of these can be found in an online casino like BC.GAME, where they can be enjoyed either as a live dealer poker title or a video poker game.
Regardless of what variations of poker players may opt for, the game’s rules remain similar as the host deals the cards. With the popularity of poker, it is also not surprising that people spend hours playing several rounds of it.
Upon knowing the main types of poker games, here are different poker variants players should learn more know about:
Texas Hold’em
Among all the different poker variants, this has to be the most popular. For those who wish to learn how to play it, each player will receive two face-down (hole) cards and three additional (community) cards that will be dealt one at a time, face-up, onto the table. The latter is dealt with on the table individually, each followed by a betting round.
Omaha High
For those wondering how to play Omaha High, it is similar to Texas Hold’em, where each player is dealt four cards. You must assemble the best possible hand using exactly two of their cards and exactly three of the five community cards.
Omaha Hi/Lo
Omaha Hi/Lo, commonly known as Eight or Better or Omaha/8, is extremely similar to Omaha High. This variant’s exciting feature involves players creating two hands using their hole cards and the community cards: a high hand and a low hand. Regarding how to play it, the main objective is to have the highest high hand and the lowest low hand.
Seven Card Stud
This used to be the most popular among poker game variations before Texas Hold’em. How to play the game? Each player receives two hole cards, one of which is dealt upward. The next three additional rounds of face-up cards are dealt one by one, followed immediately by a betting round. Before the last round of betting, a final downcard will also be dealt.
Razz
Players will also be dealt seven cards when playing Razz. Unlike standard poker games, individuals who know how to play must remember that the main objective is to have the smallest hand possible. Aces have little value in this situation, whereas straights and flushes have little bearing on the hand’s worth.
Five Card Draw
This has a straightforward objective is to obtain the greatest hand possible with only five cards. Those who know how to play often describe it as the easiest to play among all variations of poker.
Deuce to Seven Triple Draw
Another game where the objective is to have the worst hand is Deuce to Seven Triple Draw. It’s usually a pretty frantic game with lots of action, but it’s also fairly simple to understand and doesn’t require a lot of poker winning strategy, even for those learning how to play it.
Badugi,
The ranking system in a game of Badugi is identical to that in regular poker, except that aces are low-value cards rather than high-value ones. Instead of five cards, the dealer deals out four, and the betting round starts right after.
Each player may draw up to four cards at once during the initial draw round. When learning how to play the game, keep in mind that the winner is the player with the strongest four-card poker hand.
Other mixed poker games to try
Aside from those mentioned above, there are several other variations in poker you should learn more about. Also called mixed poker, these games are more advanced than regular games as they work as combinations of the aforementioned online video poker variants. In case you haven’t tried any of them, here are some examples:
H.O.R.S.E
This is not a single type of poker. Rather, it’s a mixed game featuring the popular poker variants you should know how to play. H.O.R.S.E is an acronym for: Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Eight or Better (Stud Hi/Lo).
H.O.S.E
This is quite similar to H.O.R.S.E but doesn’t include Razz among the poker variants you should know how to play. It only features Hold’em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, and Eight or Better (Stud Hi/Lo).
Hold’em Mix
Several poker variants are combined into one game in mixed poker. Some mixed games only use two varieties, while others allow as many as ten.
The mixed poker format alternates between each game. For instance, after you finish playing hold’em, the game switches to Omaha, so you must know how to play both variants.
10 Game Mix
The 10 Game Mix features ten popular poker variants, and all are rolled into one. Suppose you know how to play all variants. In that case, these are the games you will play in order:
- Limit Holdem
- Limit Stud H/L
- Pot-Limit Omaha Hi
- Limit 207 Triple Draw
- Limit Razz
- No Limit Holdem
- Limit Omaha H/L
- Limit Stud Hi
- No Limit 2-7 Single Draw
- Limit Badugi
8 Game Mixed
A poker variation known as 8-Game Poker, or simply 8-Game, consists of eight distinct poker disciplines played in succession, so you have to know how to play each one of them. Namely, the variations you need to play are:
- 2-7 Triple Draw
- Limit Hold’em
- Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
- Razz
- Seven Card Stud
- Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better
- No-Limit Hold’em
- Pot-Limit Omaha.
Omaha Hi/Lo Mixed
If you know how to play Omaha or Omaha high, this will be easy for you. Here, players are pit players against one another for both the high and low sides of the pot. Omaha hi-lo is typically played with fixed-limit bets and frequently appears in mixed games.
How to play different variations of poker
Poker is one of the best card games you can find online, especially in BC.GAME, where there are many titles for you to choose from. What makes it even more exciting is that it requires both luck and skill to win the game.
To maximise your chances, start with the right amount of bet since most poker games involve several betting rounds. You should also be observant enough when you play so that you can have a hint of which among your competitors might have better hands. Closely observing is also an excellent strategy for spotting who might be bluffing.
Though the variants poker rules may vary, you must keep these tips in mind to have a great time. Still, make sure to spend some time practising so that you can master the poker variants you prefer.
See if you have the winning hand and try out different poker variants
These are just some of the most popular poker variants you must learn more about. You can play the game more confidently by having an idea about what makes them special. Learning more about the ins and outs of each poker variant also gives you an edge against your competitors. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up with BC.GAME now and enjoy the best poker titles you can find!
FAQs
What is the most popular poker variation?
Texas Hold’em is the most popular and the most played poker variant.
What is the most challenging poker variant?
Some people consider Omaha to be the most challenging poker variant. Aside from that, some say that mixed poker variants are the hardest since they combine the principles of several poker games.
How many variants of poker are there?
There are around more than 30 variants of poker that you can try.
