Poker and its Variations!
Written by Nolan Thomas, Friday April 17 2009
The card game of poker has many different variations. In total, there are more than 120 different games of poker. The most popular forms of poker are Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hold’em, Seven-Card Stud Poker and Draw poker.
These four poker games are likely to be played at every casino, online casino site, and different poker tournaments throughout the world.
Texas Hold'em is currently the most popular form of poker in the world. Once this game began to be televised during tournaments, its popularity rose rapidly. In Hold’em, each player is dealt two cards face down, called hole cards. The player may then use none, one, or both of his hole cards, in combination with five board (flop or community) cards dealt face up, to make the best possible five-card hand.
Seven-Card stud was the most popular game in the 1980s but with the increased following of Hold’em, its popularity has diminished. In Seven-Card Stud, each player is dealt seven cards of their own: two cards in the hole and one card face-up, followed by an opening bet. Three cards are then dealt face-up, with a betting round after each card dealt, and a final card in the hole followed by a final betting round.
Draw poker is the poker game that the majority of people are most likely to have played at least once in their lifetime. Not generally found in casinos, Draw poker is common in home games. Until the mid 1970s, it was practically the only form of poker. Each player is dealt 5 cards, all down. Players evaluate their hand and the betting begins. Players may now discard any or all of their cards in order to improve on or build a better hand. Cards are discarded face down and then each player is dealt new cards face down. Betting resumes and the highest hand wins.
The above games are the basic games of poker. There are also numerous variances of home poker games, which can include wild cards (cards that can be used as any card the player desires), pot splitting cards, or different betting scenarios. Here are just a few examples of the hundreds of different poker games that are played in home games.
Baseball is a variation of seven-card poker in which 3’s and 9’s are wild. If dealt a 4 card up, the player has the option of paying for an additional card and whether he wants it dealt up or down.
Chicago
Low Chicago is a variation of seven-card poker in which the low spade card in the hole (down card) splits the pot with the winner having the highest hand.
Follow the Queen is a variation of seven-card poker in which any card that is dealt up following a queen is the wild card. The interesting part is that it can change a persons hand if another queen is dealt up because the wild card has now changed.
Football is a variation of seven-card poker in which 4’s and 6’s are wild. Although if you are dealt a 4 card up, you have to match the pot or drop out of the hand.
Woolworth is a variation of seven-card poker in which 5’s and 10’s are wild.
Stud is a variation of five-card draw except that you do not get to draw additional cards. The 5 cards you are originally dealt are the only 5 cards that you get throughout the game. Cards are dealt down.
No Peak Stud is a variation of five-card stud except you cannot look at your cards. The first player turns over 1 card, a bet is made, all other players bet and then the next player turns over their cards until their hand is higher then the previous players hand. Bets are again made and the process continues until all cards are turned over with the highest hand winning the pot.
Spit in the Ocean is a variation of five-card draw in which 4 cards are dealt down to each player and the 5th card is dealt up in the middle of the table. The 5th card is a community card for every player.
Wild Widow is a variation of five-card draw, which is dealt the same as five-card draw with an additional card dealt up in the middle of the table. The other three cards of that denomination are now the wild card for that hand.
Guts is an entertaining and humorous game. Each player places a designated bet in the middle of the table. Each player is dealt 1 card but cannot look at it. On the count of three, each player picks up the card, without looking at it, and places it on his forehead so that the other players can see the card, but not him. Then each player declares whether they are “in” or “out” by looking at the other cards. All players declaring “in” must match the original bet. High card wins the hand. Do you have the guts?
Below is the list of the rank of hands in poker from highest to lowest.
Royal Flush is the best possible poker hand. A royal flush consists of ace, king, queen, jack, and ten, all in the same suit. (Clubs, diamonds, hearts, or spades)
Straight Flush is five cards in sequence all in the same suit. If there are two straight flushes, the one with the highest-ranking card wins the hand.
Four of a Kind is four cards of the same rank.
Full House is a hand with three cards of the same rank and two cards of another rank. If two players have full houses, the one with the higher-ranking three cards is the winner.
Flush is five suited cards, all clubs, diamonds, hearts, or spades. If two players have flushes, the highest card determines which player is the winner.
Straight is five non-suited cards in sequence. If two players have a straight, the one with the highest-ranking top card is the winner. An Ace can count high or low in a straight.
Three of a kind is three cards of the same rank and two other cards that are not of the same rank.
Two pair is two pairs of cards equaling the same rank.
Pair is two cards of the same rank.
High Card is the highest-ranking card.
Anti up!
Photo Credit: Shelly Castellano / Icon SMI
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