Poker Game Variants

The most widely played poker variant worldwide. Each player receives two private cards and shares five community cards dealt in three stages (flop, turn, river). Best five-card hand wins.

The original mainstream format of Hold'em before no-limit took over. Identical to NLHE but with fixed bet sizes — small bet on the first two rounds, big bet (double the small bet) on the turn and river.

The second most popular poker variant worldwide. Each player receives four hole cards but must use exactly two of them combined with exactly three community cards to make a five-card hand. The two-from-hand requirement is the key distinction from Hold'em.

A split-pot variant of Omaha where the pot is divided between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand. A low hand must have five unpaired cards ranked 8 or below. A player can win both halves (scoop) by holding the best high and best low.

A Hold'em variant played with a 36-card deck (all 2s through 5s removed). The stripped deck changes hand frequencies and rankings — flushes beat full houses, and three-of-a-kind beats a straight in most rule sets. Aces can still make a low straight (A-6-7-8-9).

A Hold'em variant where each player receives three hole cards and must discard one before the flop is dealt. The extra starting card creates stronger starting hands and more action than standard Hold'em.

Similar to Pineapple, but players keep all three hole cards through the flop and discard one after the flop betting round. This means players have more information when deciding which card to discard, leading to stronger hands and bigger pots.

A five-card version of Pot-Limit Omaha. Each player receives five hole cards but must still use exactly two of them with exactly three community cards. The extra hole card creates even more hand combinations and bigger draws than standard PLO.

The dominant poker variant before Hold'em's rise to mainstream popularity. Each player receives seven cards over five betting rounds — three face down and four face up. No community cards. Players must remember exposed cards from folded hands for an information advantage.

A split-pot version of Seven-Card Stud where the pot is divided between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand (8-or-better). Combines the memory and card-tracking aspects of Stud with the split-pot strategy of hi-lo games.

Seven-Card Stud played for the lowest hand. Aces are always low, and straights and flushes do not count against you. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel). No qualifying requirement — the lowest five-card combination wins.

The oldest and simplest form of Stud poker. Each player receives one card face down and four cards face up over four betting rounds. With only one hidden card, the game is heavily driven by visible board information. Once the most popular form of poker in America, now rarely spread.

The classic draw poker game and many people's first exposure to poker. Each player receives five private cards, then has one opportunity to discard and draw new cards. With only two betting rounds and completely hidden information, the game relies heavily on draw decisions and bluffing.

A lowball draw game with three draw opportunities and four betting rounds. The best hand is 2-3-4-5-7 (not 2-3-4-5-6, since that is a straight). Aces are always high, and straights and flushes count against you. One of the most complex and skill-intensive poker variants.

A no-limit lowball draw game with only one draw opportunity. Same hand rankings as 2-7 Triple Draw but with no-limit betting and only one chance to draw. The no-limit structure and single draw create high-pressure decisions where standing pat as a bluff is a major weapon.

A unique four-card draw game of Korean origin where the goal is to make the lowest four-card hand with all four cards of different suits and different ranks. A perfect badugi (four unpaired, unsuited low cards) beats any three-card hand, which beats any two-card hand. Three draw rounds and four betting rounds.

The classic five-game mixed rotation: Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, Eight-or-Better (Stud Hi-Lo). All games are played at fixed-limit. The rotation changes every orbit (one full round of the button) or at fixed time intervals. Tests a player's versatility across all major poker families.

An eight-game rotation featured in high-level tournaments: 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, No-Limit Hold'em, and Pot-Limit Omaha. Adds three games to H.O.R.S.E. and introduces mixed betting structures — the no-limit and pot-limit rounds create different dynamics.

Not a single game but a format where the dealer selects which poker variant to play for each hand or orbit. The quintessential home game format. Players cycle through the dealer position, and each player picks their favorite (or most profitable) game when it is their turn to deal.

A wild card variant of Seven-Card Stud themed around baseball. All 3s and 9s are wild. A 4 dealt face up earns the player an extra card. If a 3 is dealt face up, the player must match the pot or fold. Creates huge hands and unpredictable action.

A Seven-Card Stud variant with a dynamic wild card. Whenever a queen is dealt face up, the next card dealt face up (and all cards of that rank) become wild. If another queen is dealt later, the wild card changes. If the last queen is dealt as the final up card, or no queen appears, there are no wild cards.

A card-passing game where each player receives seven cards, then passes three cards to the left, then two to the left, then one to the left. After each pass round, there is a betting round. Players end up with seven cards from multiple sources and make the best five-card hand.

A community card game where five shared cards are arranged in a cross (plus sign) pattern on the table. Each player receives two hole cards. Players must choose either the vertical row (3 cards) or the horizontal row (3 cards) of the cross to use as their community cards — they cannot mix cards from both rows.

Each player receives five hole cards and five community cards are dealt face down to the center. Community cards are revealed one at a time with a betting round after each. Players make the best five-card hand using any combination of their hole cards and the community cards. With 10 total cards to work from, very strong hands are common.

A fast-paced game where each player receives two or three cards (house rule) and simultaneously declares whether they are in or out. Players who stay in compare hands — the loser must match the pot. The game continues with new deals until only one player declares in (or all declare out). Pots can grow exponentially.

Each player receives one card and holds it on their forehead without looking at it — everyone can see everyone else's card but not their own. Players bet based on the information they can see and opponents' reactions. Pure reading and reverse-logic game.

A five-card Stud variant played with a stripped deck (standard 52 minus all 8s, 9s, and 10s, plus one joker = 41 cards). Players receive cards face down and choose which ones to expose. The joker substitutes as an ace or to complete a straight or flush. The stripped deck changes hand frequencies significantly.

A Seven-Card Stud variant where half the pot goes to the best standard poker hand and half to the player holding the highest (High Chicago) or lowest (Low Chicago) spade in the hole (face down). This split incentivizes chasing spades and creates unique strategic tension. A player can win both halves.