Poker Games
The term 'poker' is actually a general name given to a group of gambling games loosely sharing the same characteristics. Today's online and land-based casinos offer players a wide variety of poker games, such as Texas Hold 'em, 7 Card Stud, Omaha High, Deuces Wild, and Pai Gow. The most popular game typically played at poker tables, whether virtual or traditional, is undoubtedly Texas Hold 'em. In prestigious world-class tournaments, like the World Series of Poker and and the World Poker Tour, players mostly play Texas Hold 'em. This, however, does not mean that other variations of poker are less challenging. Each poker variant has its own upsides and downsides in terms of how fun, exciting and profitable it is.
Texas Hold 'em Poker- Texas Hold 'em is a poker game that literally conquered the world. It is the most played version of poker, in online card rooms and Brick-n-Mortar casinos alike. Mastering this game is not an easy task. Texas Hold 'em involves rather complicated betting techniques and requires alertness. Most reputable poker websites provide players with the option of participating in online Texas Hold 'em tournaments. The game's No-Limit betting form is widely practiced in prestigious poker tournaments including the WSOP and the WPT. The purpose of the game is to collect the jackpot, of course.
Texas Hold 'em Poker Game Rules
7-Card Stud Poker- 7-Card Stud is yet another very challenging form of poker. Although this game does not enjoy the same level of popularity as Texas Hold 'em, many seasoned poker pros would tell you that it is not less thought-provoking. 7-Card Stud is a variation that gives a lot of weight to poker's basic structure. In Stud, the antes change significantly in relation to the game's betting structure (the ante is typically 10% of the small bet). Consequently, a 7-Card Stud player should always be ready to make essential strategic adjustments during play. Although the basic rules to 7-Card Stud are quite simple, the winning strategies reach high levels of complexity.
5-Card Stud Poker- Although 5-Stud Poker is the earliest form of poker, it does not enjoy the same popularity as its cousin Texas Hold 'em. Although the game is absent from the richest poker competition ever, the World Series of Poker, it is still popular in some countries, such as Finland. Much like in other poker games, 5-Card Stud players use a small ante and a bring-in. The game is played in all limits: N/L, P/L an F/L. Prior to becoming available at some online poker rooms, 5-Card Stud was typically played either at home or in small gaming establishments. The game was featured in the popular 1965 poker flick 'The Cincinnati Kid.'
Omaha High Poker- As is the case with other forms of poker, nobody really knows where the game's name comes from. Omaha poker was first introduced to Las Vegas gaming venues in the early 1980's. If you are not familiar with this game, you have been and still are missing out on a very special gaming experience. Although Omaha's betting structure is pretty similar to the betting structure of Texas Hold 'em, the playing strategies are completely different. Widely known as a game that creates plenty of action, Omaha requires players to use precisely two 'hole' cards and three community cards to make their final hand.
Deuces Wild Poker- Deuces Wild poker was born with the introduction of gaming machines in the mid 1970s'. When prominent gaming equipment provider IGT released Draw Poker (somewhere in late 1970's), the game gained considerable popularity. Deuces Wild video poker was the second video poker game introduced to the general public. Nowadays it is believed to be one of the hottest forms of electronic card games played across the world, both in B&M casinos and online. The latest video poker machines spotted in Las Vegas casino facilities feature versions of the basic 5-card draw Deuces Wild poker game.
Pai Gow Poker- Pai Gow is a traditional Chinese game played with tiles bearing strong resemblance to domino tiles. The meaning of the term 'pai' in Chinese is both cards and dominoes. Nowadays, Pai Gow is played very similar to other popular card games. The only basic difference is that today players use domino tiles instead of cards. The popularity of Pai Gow has triggered the birth of Pai Gow Poker, a U.S. version of the popular Chinese Pai Gow. This merge of the traditional Pai Gow game with modern poker has proved to be a winning combination.
Badugi Poker- Believed by many to have originated somewhere in Asia, Badugi is a form of draw poker with a hand ranking system different than the traditional one. The overall play of the game is pretty much the same as in a standard poker game with the most significant difference being the fact that a Badugi hand contains four cards instead of five. The game includes three betting rounds. During each betting round players have the option of replacing their hole cards by new cards from the deck. The object of the game is to create the strongest Badugi hand an collect the pot money.
Razz Poker- Razz is a form of poker where the winning hand is actually the weakest one. The object of the game is to create the lowest possible hand from the seven hole cards the player is dealt. The best Razz hand is 5-4-3-2-A, called 'the wheel.' Razz is normally played as a limit game which means that the amount that players can bet per betting round is fixed. Since 1973, Razz poker has become an official event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Although in the recent years Razz has been enjoying increasing popularity, it is still not as prominent as the game of Texas hold 'em.