Poker Card Games

There is no denying that the popularity of poker card games has skyrocketed in recent years. In fact, it seems like you can’t turn on a television without seeing one or more tournaments being broadcast, and many of the top poker players are as famous as athletes and actors these days. For gaming enthusiasts interested in getting in on the action, there are a number of different types of poker card games that you can play, along with a number of variations within those broad types.

Poker Card Games ? The Big Three

There are three main types of poker card games, and you can be certain that any casino or poker website will feature multiple tables at which you can play these games:

Draw Poker: Draw poker card games feature a single initial deal followed by a round of betting. Then players have the option to discard one or more cards in order to receive new cards. Then the final betting takes place. Five-Card Draw is the most popular draw poker game.

Stud Poker: Each player receives some of their cards face-up and some of their cards face-down. Betting take place following each card that is dealt. Five-Card Stud is the most popular version of this type of poker card game.

Community Card Poker: In this type of poker card game, players create a hand by combining their unique, hidden hand with a set of face-up cards that all of the players share, known as ‘community cards’. Following the ante, betting takes place after each card is dealt. Texas Hold ‘Em is far and away the most popular type of community card poker game, and is also the most popular of all of the poker card games.

Poker Card Games ? Common Variations

Within these types of poker card games, there are several common variations that serve to enliven the game and provide additional challenges to the players:

Wild Cards: One or more cards of a certain type are ‘wild’ a may be used as another card. Sometimes the wild card may be used as any other card, and sometimes it may only be used as an Ace or to complete a straight or flush. Wild card poker games can be very exciting and unpredictable.

High-Low Splits: In this type of poker card game, the pot is split between the player with the highest hand and the player with the lowest hand. Sometimes, the decision of whether to go for the high hand or the low is not made until well into the betting. Because there are two winners for each hand, players tend to have a greater ability to last in these games.

Pass-the-Trash: Players pass one or more cards to another player. The colorful name comes from the fact that players are constantly giving away their worst cards, although you never know if that deuce of hearts you pass to your opponent might complete a straight or a flush for them!

Twist Rounds: This type of game allows players to buy another card if they like. The amount required is usually fixed before the game starts, although some games feature bidding in which the player that bids highest gets to buy the card.

Controlling Betting in Poker Card Games

Finally, within each of the poker card games the amount that may be bet can vary. Typically, betting is divided between two types – limit games and no limit games:

Limit Games: As the name implies, limit games place a limit on the amount that may be wagered with each bet. Usually, the name of the game will specify the betting limits; for example a ’5-10 Hold ‘Em’ game means that this is a game of limit Texas Hold ‘Em in which bets in the first two rounds are limited to $5, and bets in the subsequent two rounds are limited to $10. Most online websites will offer a wide range of limits to accommodate all tastes, and despite the restrictions that limits place on betting, high limit games can still be quite pricey.

It is strongly recommended that anyone new to playing poker card games begins by playing a low limit game, perhaps 1-2 or 2-4. Once you have gotten your feet wet at these smaller tables, you can feel free to move on to the larger limit (or no limit) tables.

No Limit Games: No limit poker games feature no limits on the amount of money that may be wagered in any given bet. Sometimes a player will make a bet that other players do not have the money to cover; in this instance, any players with insufficient funds may call the bet, and continue playing, by going ‘all in’, betting their entire remaining amount of money.

While no limit poker card games provide exciting and dramatic television viewing, these games are not for novices or those without a strong stomach and a large wallet. Before you enter any no limit game, be sure you are familiar with the rules, comfortable with your skill level, and able to handle any losses you might accrue.

Additional Types of Poker Card Games

A whole family of games has been developed that takes advantage of poker rules, but offer quite a different type of game play than typical poker card games. First developed in casinos, these games are increasingly popular on online poker websites. These games are typically not played heads-up, or player vs. player, but rather against a single bank hand:

Pai Gow Poker: Players are dealt seven cards and try to make two different winning hands, a two card hand and a five card hand. Both hands must win for the wager to win, and both hands must lose for the wager to lose. In the case of a split, the hand is declared a push.

Three Card Poker: Three cards are dealt and the player tries to make the best poker hand possible.

Let It Ride: A combination of Three Card Poker and Texas Hold ‘Em, each player makes the best hand possible from their own hidden cards and a set of community cards.

Caribbean Stud: Five cards are dealt and the player tries to make the best poker hand possible.