Top Poker Games That Casino Players Should Learn
When online casino players think about the game of poker, they usually think of video poker. However, that’s not the only form of poker out there. There poker table games like Three Card Poker and your standard online poker.
It is online poker that we will talk about today. While Texas Hold’em is the game most people play, it is not the only game out there. If you plan to expand your poker repertoire, you need to learn other variants of the game. Today, we will give you the top poker games that online casino players should learn.
Pot-Limit Omaha
Pot Limit Omaha is the second most popular game in the world. It plays like Texas Hold’em but with two key differences. First, you get four hole cards instead of two. Next, you make a five-card hand using two cards in your hand and three on the board.
PLO is very popular in Europe and a favorite amongst action players. Because of the drawing nature of the game, the average pot is larger in this game than in other forms of poker. Omaha Hi-Lo is a popular variant where the high hand wins half of the pot and a qualifying low hand wins the other half of the pot.
Seven Card Stud
The old school game of Seven Card Stud has decreased in popularity after the rise of Texas Hold’em but is still played in many mixed poker games. If you plan to play in mixed games or in dealer’s choice games, you need to learn Stud.
This game doesn’t have community cards. Instead, you get seven cards. To start, you get two cards down and one up, followed by a round of betting. The next three cards are received one at a time face up with a round of betting after. Your last card is face down and a final round of betting. The best five-card hand wins.
Stud 8 or Better, also known as Stud Hi-Lo, is the split pot version of this game. Razz is a lowball version of Stud where the lowest hand wins. Stud games are the backbone of all mixed games, so if you want to be a mixed games player, you need to be proficient in Stud games.
2-7 Lowball
This is a variant of Five Card Draw where the lowest hand wins. Straight and flushes count against you and aces are always high. The best hand in the game is 2-3-4-5-7.
There are two formats of 2-7. The first is Triple Draw where you have three draws with limit betting after each draw. No-Limit 2-7 Draw is a single draw game with betting rules like NL Hold’em.
2-7 Lowball is offered in cash game and tournament format around the world, but it is also part of many mixed games, including 8-Game and dealer’s choice.
Badugi
Badugi is another variant of Five Card Draw, but it has a few unique twists. First, you only play with four cards. Next, the goal is to get one card of each suit in your hand. When you get all four suits, you have a Badugi.
Badugi is a lowball game, so the best Badugi is A-2-3-4. Straight do not count against you and aces are always low. If nobody has a Badugi at showdown, the best three-card hand is the winner. Badugi is a triple draw game and incorporates a lot of bluffing. This is another good game to learn if you want to be a well-rounded player as there is plenty of action for both cash game and tournament players.
Short Deck Hold’em
Short Deck NL Hold’em is becoming the most popular variant of Hold’em in the world. The game is played with a 36 card deck. All of the 2s through 5s are removed from the deck. As such, straights are easier to make in this game and flushes harder. This changes the ranking of hands for the game. A flush ranks higher than a full house.
Short Deck is also known as 6+ Hold’em on some online poker sites. The 2020 World Series of Poker Online and other major online poker tournament events include Short Deck Hold’em and it is growing in popularity. You should start learning the game now to keep ahead of the curve.