Types of Poker: A Comprehensive Guide to Popular Poker Variants

Poker encompasses dozens of distinct variants, each with unique rules, betting structures, and strategic considerations that appeal to different player preferences and skill levels. 

While Texas Hold'em dominates modern poker rooms and digital platforms, numerous other different poker games offer compelling gameplay experiences.

Familiarizing yourself with various poker card games helps players select games matching their skill level, risk tolerance, and strategic interests. This guide examines the most common poker games online, detailing the rules and strategic elements that distinguish each poker variant.

Texas Hold'em ranks as the most widely played poker variant globally, dominating tournament circuits, cash games, and digital platforms. The game's popularity stems from its relatively simple rules combined with deep strategic complexity that rewards skilled play over time.

Each player receives two private cards (hole cards), with five shared cards revealed face-up on the table in three stages: the flop (three cards), the turn (one card), and the river (one card). Players construct the best possible five-card hand by combining any two of their private cards with any three board cards.

Betting occurs in four rounds: pre-flop, after the flop, after the turn, and after the river. The game supports both limit and no-limit betting structures, with No-Limit Texas Hold'em representing the most popular tournament format worldwide.

The accessibility of Texas Hold'em through various platforms, including mobile casino apps, has contributed significantly to its worldwide popularity, allowing players to access games anywhere with internet connectivity.

Omaha ranks as poker's second-most-played variant, especially for experienced players seeking more action than Texas Hold'em provides. The game follows a similar structure to Hold'em but with crucial differences that dramatically alter strategy and hand values.

Each player gets four private cards rather than two, and community cards are dealt identically to Hold'em. The critical distinction lies in hand construction: players must select precisely two hole cards and precisely three board cards to construct their final hand.

Omaha typically plays as Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO), where maximum bets equal the current pot size. The four-card starting hands generate more drawing possibilities, resulting in closer equity distributions between hands and encouraging aggressive play.

Omaha Hi-Lo (Omaha Eight-or-Better) splits pots between the best high hand and best qualifying low hand. Low hands must contain five unpaired cards eight or lower, creating situations where players can scoop entire pots with hands that win both high and low.

Seven-Card Stud dominated American poker rooms before Texas Hold'em's rise and remains popular among traditional players. Unlike community card games, Stud involves no shared cards, with each player receiving their own seven cards over the course of five betting rounds.

Each player receives two cards face-down and one face-up (third street), followed by three more face-up cards (fourth, fifth, and sixth streets) and one last concealed card (the river or seventh street). Players construct their best five-card hand from their seven cards.

The absence of community cards requires different strategic considerations than Hold'em or Omaha. Players must track folded cards to calculate remaining outs accurately, and the face-up cards provide substantial information about opponent holdings.

Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo follows similar rules but splits pots between high and low hands, mirroring the Omaha Hi-Lo structure.

Five-Card Draw represents one of the oldest poker types and remains familiar to casual players through home games and popular culture depictions. Players are dealt five cards face-down. Following the initial betting round, players can exchange any number of cards (zero to five) in a single draw. A final betting round follows the draw, with the best five-card hand winning the pot.

The limited information available in Five-Card Draw shifts strategic emphasis toward mathematical play and opponent profiling. While Five-Card Draw appears less frequently in modern casino poker rooms, it maintains popularity in home games and some online casino platforms due to its straightforward rules and quick gameplay.

Razz, a form of Seven-Card Stud played for low hands only, represents the most popular lowball poker variant. The game follows Seven-Card Stud's dealing structure but inverts traditional hand rankings, making the worst traditional hand the best Razz hand.

Razz players aim to create the weakest possible five-card holding from any combination of the seven cards received. Straights and flushes don't count against the hand, making A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel) the best possible holding. Pairs, trips, and other traditional strong hands become liabilities.

The highest visible card showing after third street brings in the first bet, and subsequent betting rounds follow low hand showing. Razz appears regularly in mixed game formats and has gained renewed attention through its inclusion in the HORSE rotation at major tournament series.

HORSE represents a mixed game rotation combining five different types of poker games from the list of poker games: Hold'em (limit), Omaha Hi-Lo (limit), Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo (Eight-or-Better). The game switches variants every orbit or after a set time period, requiring players to demonstrate proficiency across multiple poker variations.

Mixed games test comprehensive poker skills rather than specialization in a single variant. Players must adjust strategies rapidly as games change, making these formats particularly challenging. The World Series of Poker's $50,000 Poker Players Championship, played in an eight-game mix, stands as the premier mixed game tournament.

Beyond HORSE, other popular mixed game formats include:

These comprehensive formats appear primarily in high-stakes cash games and select tournament events.

Short Deck Hold'em (also called Six Plus Hold'em) represents a relatively recent poker variant that has gained significant traction in high-stakes cash games, particularly in Asia. This variant employs a reduced 36-card deck, removing all cards below six, fundamentally altering hand probabilities and strategic considerations.

With fewer cards in play, hand values shift dramatically. Flushes beat full houses in most Short Deck variants due to their increased rarity with fewer suited cards available. Straights become easier to complete, occurring more frequently than in regular Hold'em.

The altered probabilities encourage aggressive play, as drawing hands connect more frequently and pocket pairs face increased vulnerability. The variant's availability on major cryptocurrency poker platforms has facilitated its spread among digital players seeking new challenges.

Chinese Poker diverges significantly from traditional poker types, involving no betting or bluffing. Instead, players arrange thirteen cards into three hands: a three-card front hand and two five-card hands (middle and back), with each hand required to be weaker than the previous hand.

After all players set their hands, comparisons occur across corresponding hands (front versus front, middle versus middle, back versus back). Players earn points for each hand won, with bonuses awarded for particularly strong holdings called royalties.

Open-Face Chinese Poker, a popular variant, deals cards progressively rather than all at once. Players receive five initial cards to place, then receive one card at a time to add to their three hands. The progressive dealing creates dramatic situations where players risk "fouling" (setting hands out of order) while pursuing high-scoring royalties.

Selecting appropriate poker variants depends on several factors, including experience level, strategic preferences, bankroll considerations, and game availability.

Beginners typically start with Texas Hold'em due to abundant learning resources and widespread availability, gradually expanding to other variants as skills develop. Players seeking maximum action often prefer Omaha or Short Deck variants, while those favoring mathematical precision may gravitate toward draw games or stud formats.

The proliferation of online platforms has made previously rare poker types accessible to players worldwide, allowing experimentation with different games without the pressure of live casino play.

The diverse landscape of poker variants ensures compelling options exist for players at every skill level and with every strategic preference. While Texas Hold'em's dominance continues in major tournaments and mainstream poker culture, the resurgence of mixed games and the innovation of formats like Short Deck demonstrate poker's ongoing evolution across different types of poker.

Recognizing the key distinctions among these poker variants (from community card structures to stud formats and draw variants) enables players to make strategic choices about which variants to explore and how to allocate study time effectively. Each variant offers unique challenges and rewards, with mastery of multiple formats providing strategic advantages and increased playing opportunities.

Whether participating in traditional casino games or exploring digital platforms, players benefit from familiarity with poker's major variants. For those interested in card games, poker offers exceptional depth. Strategic skills developed in one format often transfer partially to others, though each game type ultimately requires dedicated study and practice to achieve genuine proficiency.