Popular Poker Variations
Omaha Hi/Low
If you are looking for action, then Omaha and Omaha Hi/Low are the card games you want to play. Played almost identical to Texas Hold’em, the difference lies in the two extra hole cards each player is dealt. With four cards instead of two, the player has a better chance at making the winning hand. The Hi/Low versions of Omaha make for even wilder play as betting gets higher when the player who has the hit makes an effort to push out the chasers.
The idea is to win the pot, whether you are playing the Hi or the Low version of Omaha. With five community cards and four hole cards, there’s a lot of money at stake in this game.
7 Card Stud
This is an old but much loved version of poker. Besides a regular format, 7 Card Stud can also be played in the Hi and Low variations. Each player is dealt two cards face down and then one face up. A round of betting follows after which another card is dealt face up to every player. This carries on till all players have two cards facing down and four facing up. The last and final round of betting takes place at this point.
In this variation, it is important that you fold if you realize you don’t have a good hand by the time the second face up card is dealt. And you need to have a sharp memory so that you can remember all the cards that have already been dealt without wasting time when you have to make your move.
Razz
This is one game that all players down on their luck will want to play. In Razz, the winner is the player with the worst possible hand. It is played just like 7 Card Stud with the difference being in the winning hand – it is the lowest cards that take home the pot.
Triple Draw
Very similar to Razz, Triple Draw is a lot more fun. Each player is given five cards and then betting ensues. While you are allowed to discard the cards you don’t need, keep in mind that you save yourself the worst hand. It is the useless cards that will win you a lot of money in this game. Remember, 2-3-4-5-7 is the nuts in Triple Draw!
