Poker, the beloved classic, and some of its variants are among the most played table games in the United States and beyond. The two most common types of poker games among long-time players and beginners stem from the U.S sharing names with two famous cities.
This American casino guide covers the types of poker card games based on their strategic depth, betting structures, accessibility, and entertainment value.
Best Types of Poker Games: The Ones Most Played
There are over fifteen types of poker games, but the five highlighted below are the most common. They are available online and in land casinos. But you should first learn how to play poker to enjoy the games.
Texas Hold ’em: The King Variant
Texas Hold ’em is undeniably the global leader of all types of poker games due to its deep strategy, simple learning curve, and TV fame. Its dominance over other versions of poker is evident in its adoption as the main game in major tournaments, such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
Ruleset and gameplay
Texas Hold ’em is played in three formats based on betting structure: Limit, Pot-limit, and No-limit. No-limit Hold ’em (NLHE), which has no betting limit, is a common choice among the different types of online poker games.
Players receive two private cards, and the dealer places five community cards at the center. The objective is to use your two hole cards and the community cards to form the strongest five-card combination at the end of four betting rounds – preflop, flop, turn, and river. See the poker cheat sheet for new players.
Omaha: High-Action Variant
Second in popularity and adoption is Omaha, a similar variant to Texas Hold ’em, but with more complexity and more hands to play. It is also known to be the most action-packed of all the poker games. You have to follow the poker rules to win.
Ruleset and gameplay
Omaha is often played in two major formats, based on betting structure: Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) and Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8-or-Better).
The play and betting rounds are similar to Hold ’em, but it uses more hole cards than the other forms of poker. Players receive four hole cards before being dealt five community cards.
However, in Omaha, you can only use two of your four private cards with three of the five community cards to form your best five-card hand. Check out our Omaha poker guide.
Seven-Card Stud: Classic Game of Memory
Seven-Card Stud is a timeless classic considered the most memory-dependent in any list of poker games. This variant uses no community cards and is more skill-weighted, as you must rely only on your own cards to form strong poker hand names.
Ruleset and gameplay
Players receive seven cards total (two face-down, four face-up, and one face-down) with no community card. With some cards visible to all players, unlike the other types of poker card games, you need your memory to deduce the possible hands of your opponents from these exposed cards.
Betting spans across multiple rounds for you to build the strongest five-card hand at the end, like the other types of poker games we’ve mentioned. Here, in this link, are the poker hands ranked.
Five-Card Draw: Simple & Strategic Classic
Five-Card Draw is the simplest and most basic of all the different kinds of poker. It offers strategic gameplay, straightforward enough to give a beginner a chance to play.
Ruleset and gameplay
The play spans two betting rounds. In the first round, each player receives five cards face down. After this round comes the draw, when players can discard and replace a portion of their hand, followed by the second round.
The goal remains the same as in the other types of poker games: present the strongest five-card hand at showdown to win the pot.
Short Deck Poker (6+ Hold ’em): Fast-Paced Play
Short Deck, also known as Six-Plus Hold ’em, has recently surged massively in popularity and accessibility among all types of poker games. This variant’s most unique attribute lies in its use of a 36-card deck (removing cards 2 to 5), which makes Flushes rank higher than Full Houses.
This poker format speeds up the game action, resulting in larger pots.
Ruleset and gameplay
Like Texas Hold ’em, players receive two hole cards and combine them with the three available community cards to form the best five-card hand.
Choosing Your Favorite
The best types of poker games include Texas Hold ’em, Five-Card Draw, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and Short Deck Poker. Your choice of variant hinges on your skill set and the entertainment value you seek. Choose your most preferred game today and play at Slots Paradise Casino.
FAQs
How many types of poker games are there?
There are over 15 types of poker games, ranging from Texas Hold ’em to lesser-known variants like Razz and Badugi.
What are the most popular poker games?
Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, Five-Card Draw, and Short Deck rank among the most popular poker games globally.