Discover All the Variants of Poker

Poker is a game that includes many variants. You often hear about Texas Hold'em Poker, the most played variant worldwide, but there are many others. Which ones? What are their particularities? Follow the guide! You will then better understand our video poker games.

What Are the Different Variants of Poker?

Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em Poker is the most popular and widely played variant of poker in the world. It originated in Texas in the 1900s and was introduced to Las Vegas casinos in 1967 by several poker pioneers. There are three versions of it:

No Limit (NL), often played in tournaments, where bets can go all-in;
Limit, played with predefined bet amounts;
Pot Limit, where bets cannot exceed the size of the pot.

Texas Hold’em poker can be played:

between two players ("Heads-up");
between three and six players ("short-handed" or "6-max");
between seven and ten players ("full ring").

In a Texas Hold’em game, the dealer deals two face-down cards to each player, then after the first betting round, places three community cards face-up in the center of the table: the flop. After a second round of betting, a fourth card, the turn, is added, followed by a third betting round. Finally, a fifth card, the river, is revealed, followed by the final betting round: the showdown. The winner is the player still in the game who has the best five-card hand, using their two cards and three of the five community cards on the table.

Omaha

In Omaha, each player receives four face-down cards. The flop is then placed face-up on the table, followed by the turn and the river, similar to Texas Hold’em. The difference lies in the showdown, where the player must use exactly two of their cards and three community cards to form the best hand possible.

Pot Limit Omaha

Pot Limit Omaha is played the same way as No Limit Omaha, with the only difference being that the bets are limited to the size of the pot.

Omaha Hi-Low

The Omaha Hi-Low variant follows the same rules as Omaha but offers two ways to win:

You can win with the best hand ("Hi"), as in the Omaha variant;
You can also win with the lowest hand ("Lo"), which is a hand made of five low cards, all valued at less than 9.

The goal of Omaha Hi-Low is to have both the strongest and the weakest hand. In some cases, the low may not be possible, for example, if the community cards are higher than 9, such as K, Q, J. If one player wins the Hi and another wins the Lo, the pot is split between the two.

Stud

Stud is a poker variant played with five or seven cards, and it shares similarities with Texas Hold’em: there are both hidden and open cards for each player, but there are no community cards. At the start of the game, each player receives one face-up card and two face-down cards. In stud, there are no blinds or dealer buttons; instead, there is a "bring-in," where the player with the highest face-up card is forced to bet. To follow, players must bet at least double the "bring."

Stud Variants

There is also Stud5, where each player receives one face-down card and four face-up cards. With fewer cards, combinations are harder to make, and bluffing is less obvious.

Stud 8 or Better is played like Seven-Card Stud, but only hands higher than 8 are considered during the showdown.

Razz

In the Razz variant, the goal is to get the worst hand possible, avoiding pairs. Razz is similar to Seven-Card Stud in its gameplay, but in this case, the player with the highest visible card must pay the bring-in.

5 Card Draw (Closed Poker)

The 5 Card Draw variant, also known as closed poker, is an old variant of poker, still popular in Europe and online, although it is increasingly being replaced by open poker variants. The 5 Card Draw is easy to play, with only two betting rounds, one before and one after the card draw.

Royal

Royal is a relatively recent poker variant derived from Texas Hold'em, but it only uses cards with values of 10 or higher. This game is played with twenty cards and a maximum of six players, as each player has two hole cards, five community cards, and three burn cards.

Peney Hold’em

Peney Hold'em is a variant of poker, similar to Texas Hold'em No Limit, which itself has many variants, most of which require a great mastery of the game. There is a World Championship of Peney Hold'em, which takes place every summer in Geneva.

Lazy Pineapple (Lazy Pineapple or Tahoe Pineapple)

Pineapple, or standard Pineapple, is similar to Texas Hold’em, but players receive three hole cards instead of two. One of these cards must be discarded before the first betting round begins.

Irish Poker

Irish Poker is also similar to Texas Hold'em but with a mix of Pot Limit Omaha. Each player receives four hole cards, followed by a betting round, as in a game of Pot Limit Omaha.

Simultaneous Poker (Holdemaha)

Simultaneous Poker, also called Holdemaha, is a rather unique but simple poker variant. Each player receives six face-down cards and must split them into two hands.

Vanunu

In the Vanunu poker variant, the goal is to get either the highest or lowest hand. Each player receives seven face-down cards, which they do not look at, and then reveal one card at a time.

Death Wheel

In the Death Wheel variant, each player receives four face-down cards. Six other face-down cards, common to all players, are arranged in a circle in the center of the table.

Anaconda

In Anaconda poker, each player receives seven face-down cards, then must discard three cards and pass them to the player sitting to their left.

Congratulations, you now know most of the poker variants!