Types of poker and their rules

The world of poker is an exciting web of cards in which we can demonstrate our knowledge and apply the most elaborate and impeccable strategies to successfully conclude the rounds and games. It is a game of chance, but also of skill and ingenuity, of numbers, of maturity and temperance that is played in the form of games and tournaments all over the world.

However, to speak of poker as a single card game is an understatement. When we talk about poker we must take into account that we can find a great variety of modalities and that, although they all have the same purpose and the dynamics is very similar, each version has its own rules -which give more or less dynamism to the games-.

In this article we are going to explain what are the main different types of poker and what are their rules. We clarify how to play Texas Holdem poker, how to play Caribbean poker, and how to play Omaha Poker, Strip Poker and 5 Card Poker. Read on for more information!

Types of poker: What are the different types of poker?

The most popular types of poker that we can find today are five. These are: Omaha poker, Texas Holdem poker, Caribbean poker, strip poker and 5-card poker. You should know, however, that -although all of them are very popular- there are two that stand out among the rest, these are Texas Holdem and Omaha Poker. Both poker modalities, including their variants, have about 96% of total participation by users who play the games and tournaments through the computer and from the cell phone. We look at them in more detail.

Texas Holdem poker

Texas Holdem Poker is the most played poker modality in the world, specifically the variable Texas Holdem No limit (no limit betting). It is a standard version of the poker game that stands out for being the most used in the main poker events, such as the Word Series of Poker -or WSOP- or the World Poker Tour. In fact, this poker variant was included in the catalog of World Mind Sports Games in 2009 by the IMSA (International Mind Sports Association).

How to play Texas Holdem Poker: Texas Holdem Poker Rules

Texas Holdem Poker varies depending on the people who play it, usually between 2 and 9 people. If the game is played between two people, then it is called Heads-Up; while it is played between three and six players it is known as Short-Handed, Short Table or 6.max; however, if a total of seven or more players play, then the variant is known as Full-Ring or Long Table. These are the Texas Holdem poker rules:

Each player must receive a total of 2 private cards preflop (before the 1st phase). These are revealed at the end of the hand or if everyone bets "all in", which is equivalent to all in or going all in. The hand begins with a round of betting by the player to the left of the big blind* and continues clockwise until it ends with the player in the big blind. There is the possibility to rebet up to three times or check until the round ends. If at the end of this betting round there are at least two players left in the hand, the five community cards are placed on the table.

The dealer deals a total of 5 cards on the table. Three cards are dealt first (1st phase of the flop) and then one more after each round - after the turn, or 2nd phase, and after the river, or 3rd phase. These cards are available to the players so that they can use them to consolidate their hands or draft hands.

Players can place bets before or after the cards are revealed.

In order to remain an active player -or in the hand-, it is essential that the player puts the same amount of chips in the pot.

The hand that wins the pot, finally, is the one that has the best combination of 5 cards. These are shown in the show room, or 4th phase.

*In this type of poker two types of bets are usually played: the big blinds and the small blinds. They are so called because the player bets without having seen any of the cards on the table. The small blind is posted by the player to the left of the dealer - it is equivalent to half of the big blind -, while the big blind is posted by the player to the left of the dealer - and is equivalent to the minimum bet. The number of blinds increases as the tournaments progress.

Omaha poker

Omaha poker is another of the most popular versions. Its most played variants are Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi-Lo. The origin of this version of poker is a mystery, although it is known that it was played for the first time in the Golden Nuget -one of the most famous casinos in Las Vegas- in the mid 70s.

Omaha poker rules

The Omaha poker rules are very similar to those of Texas Holdem, the only difference is that each player receives a total of four cards and must build his play with only two of them and three of the total of the five community cards. On the flop the first three community cards appear and a round of betting takes place, on the turn the next one appears and on the river the fifth community card. In the Omaha Hi variant, the pot is won by the highest hand, while in the Omaha Hi-Lo variant - also known as Omaha 8-or-Better - the pot is won by the highest and lowest qualifying hand. The best low hand in this variant is A-2-3-4-5 -without influencing the suit-.

Caribbean Poker

Of all the poker modalities that exist, this is the only one in which you compete against the house and not against other players. It is for this reason that it has many similarities with Blackjack or video poker. It is a poker modality in which there are no bluffs, nor is it a matter of deducing the opponent's cards taking into account his moves, although the objective remains the same: to have the best possible hand - on the same scale as in traditional poker.

How to play Caribbean poker

In this poker game, hands are dealt very quickly and each hand will have a value that will correspond to the prize we will receive in case of having a better hand than the dealer's. Although, if the dealer reaches the dealer's hand, we will receive a prize if we have a better hand than the dealer's hand. Although, if the dealer reaches the minimum hand (Ace - King or Pair) we will only receive the prize of the initial bet. When answering how to play Caribbean poker, it must be taken into account that the game is played against the dealer and that a total of 5 cards are dealt to the player and the dealer -with one of the dealer's cards uncovered to give some advantage to the player-.

To receive cards the player must make an initial lay known as an Ante. To continue playing after seeing these cards the player must place another bet double the previous one. The value of the cards remains the same as in the other poker modalities at the time of resolving the hands, however, the minimum play is AK. In this variant, each hand is not related to the others, which means that it is not necessary to elaborate any strategy. The rules of Caribbean poker are as follows:

An initial bet - known as Ante - must be made in order to see the cards and be able to start with the hand.

The player and the dealer are dealt a total of 5 cards. One of the dealer's cards is played face up.

After evaluating his own cards and the dealer's face card, the player must decide whether to bet - in which case he must double the initial bet - or to discard the cards and lose the initial bet. If he/she does not discard the cards, the hand is resolved.

If the dealer does not reach AK or pair, then the hand is not carried out and the player is awarded an Ante.

In the event that the player wins by having the best play, he/she will be paid according to the hand he/she has obtained.

Strip poker

Strip poker is a variation of poker in which each player must remove clothing when losing bets. This version is not a game as such, but a rule that applies to any of the poker variants. Apparently, this version originated in New Orleans at the same time as traditional poker, specifically in the brothels of the 19th century. However, there are several theories about it.

Strip poker rules

The rules of strip poker imply that all players must have the same number of clothing items, although these can be flexible. Generally, they are usually played with few betting rounds -such as five cards with a discard. Strip poker rules also allow for other types of activities to be mixed in, such as truth or dare challenges.

5-card poker

5 Card Poker, also known as 5 Card Draw, is one of the most popular variants today and one of the most played all over the world. The rules of 5-card poker are simple. It is about getting the best possible hand after having made a discard and without having community cards. Bets can be made on the cards or not - if a bluff is made. The player who has the best hand must have participated in the two betting rounds - one before the discard and one after.

5 Card Poker Rules

There are two versions of this type of poker: Antes and Blinds. In the case of the Antes version - the most popular - each player must pay a certain amount (bet) before receiving his 5 cards; while, in the Blinds version, only the two players to the left of the button (or dealer) must make the bet.) As in Texas Holdem, the player to the left of the button is the Small Blind, while the player to the left of the Small Blind is the Big Blind.

To play 5-card poker, each player must receive a total of 5 cards face down, following the Before or Blinds mode. After all players have received their cards, the first round of betting begins. If the game is played with Blinds, the player to the left of the Big Blind starts; if the game is played with Antes, then the player to the left of the button (or dealer) starts. In this game, players with Antes can check - which means to stay in the hand without betting, apart from the first bet made to receive the 5 cards. In the case of the Blinds, for players to enter the hand they must at least match the Big Blind.

The discard, in this game, takes place after the end of the betting round. It is carried out by all players who remain in the hand. The discarding starts with the player to the left of the button as long as he/she participates in the hand. In this part of the round - the final part - the players can change the number of cards they want (from 1 to 5) and replace them with new cards or stay served with the cards they have - without making any discard. Once the discard is completed, the second round proceeds. It is important to make clear that, in some cases, the rules of 5-card poker only allow a maximum of 3 discards.

In the second round - final round, or show room, the last betting round takes place. After that, the hand is shown -as long as there are a maximum of two players left, because if there is only one player left, he/she takes the pot-.