Types of Poker Games: Poker is a family of card games that share similar betting rules and hand rankings. A lot of info is available on the different variations of poker games, including straight, seven-card draw, five card stud, Pai Gow, Omaha, and the popular community game of Texas Hold’em.
Each of these poker game types differs in the way cards are dealt, the way hands are formed, and the betting rules. Many poker players feel the betting system is what differentiates poker games from other forms of gambling. Except for small forced bets at the beginning of the hand, most poker game bets are made willingly with the assumption that each bet is placed with the expectation of winning.
Straight Poker
Straight Poker is the original form of the game. Straight poker involves a set number of cards, either three, five, or seven dealt face down to each player in one round, followed by a round of betting.
Three card brag was a popular gentlemen’s game in the late 1700s and is still played in Europe today. While straight hands are fun and fast, most poker played today involves more complex dealing and betting set-ups to allow for increased skill and strategy than straight poker.
Stud Poker
Stud Poker is played by dealing cards to each player in a prearranged setup of face-up and face-down cards with one or more rounds of betting between.
As poker hands switched from three to five-card hands, the emersion of seven-card stud came about. Seven-card stud is played with three face down and four face up cards dealt to each player, who then attempts to make the best five-card hand out of their cards after several rounds of betting.
Draw Poker
Draw poker is played by dealing a complete hand of poker, and after betting, players attempt to trade in some of the cards in their hand in an attempt to better their overall hand rank. Another round of betting ensues and the draw poker showdown begins. The popular five-card draw is played in this way, where each player receives a complete hand, then may trade in zero to four cards with the hopes of improving their five card hand.
Community PokerCommunity Poker involves the use of smaller individually dealt hands and a community pile of face-up cards that each player may use to form the best five-card hand possible.
The most popular variety of this game is Texas Hold’em, where players are dealt two cards face down, followed by a round of betting, three community cards face up, a round of betting, then two more rounds of one community card face up and betting between each until the showdown when players make the best five-card hands possible from the seven available cards.
Popular Casino Poker Games
Omaha Hold’em is another variety of community poker in which the player is dealt four cards and must make a hand out of exactly two of their own cards and three of the community cards. There are many variations of Omaha played in casinos today.
Another type of poker game popular in casinos is called Pai Gow, where the objective is to bet against and beat the dealer. Pai Gow hands are formed from seven cards, one five-card hand, and one two-card hand. In Pai Gow, the two-card hand is called the front, top, small, or minor hand and must be of lesser value than the five-card hand called the bottom, back, big, or major hand.
Other
Other popular types of poker include strip poker where players remove an article of clothing after losing each hand. This game is usually played at home and with five-card draw rules. Video poker is played on a video screen and more resembles slots than poker but is often also played with five card draw rules.
There’s also a poker game called acey ducey or hi-lo, which more resembles blackjack in setup and betting style, where each player is dealt two cards and bets against the dealer that the third card dealt them will fall between the first two. Payouts of each hand are based on the difference between the first two cards dealt
