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There's More To Poker Than Texas Holdem!
By Ian McIntosh, Sat Dec 10th
Texas
holdem is taking over the world. This is the most popular game bar none,
played by more people in their homes as well as at casinos than any other
game. But believe it or not there are many other poker games you can play.
Most of them fall into one of three categories:
- Stud Games (for example 7 card stud) - Draw Games (for example 5 card
draw) - Shared Hand Games (for example TexasHoldem)
There are also some other obscure games that don't fit into these categories,
some of the more popular of which are high/low pig, bid poker and guts. In
almost all types of poker game the hand rankings are the same, with a very
few minor exceptions which have become more or less “home-made” rules.
Here are brief descriptions of some different poker games:
5 Card Draw Poker Played by 3 - 7 players. Each is dealt five cards and there
is a round of betting based on the hands. After the betting players can now
put up to three cards back in exchange for new ones. (There's one exception
where a player can exchange four cards if he shows the fifth to be an ace).
There's a further round of betting and the best hand wins. Draw poker was
once the standard way to play but it has of course been over taken by Texas
Holdem.
7 Card Stud Poker Played by 3 - 10 players. Players are dealt two cards face
down and one face up and there is a round of betting. Cards 4, 5 and six are
then dealt face up with betting on each round. The final card is dealt face
down and there is another round of betting before the show down. 7 Card Stud
Pokeris still a popular game and is probably second at the moment to Texas
Holdem.
Caribbean Poker This is a poker game played in a casino between the player
and the dealer. Each gets five cards and the player has to decide whether
his card is worth betting on after seeing the dealer's first card. If the
player has a better hand than the dealer he is paid out in a fixed odds system
depending on the strength of his hand. The fixed odds range from evens for
a pair or high
card to 100-1 for a royal flush.
Pai Gow Poker Pai Gow is a fairly complicated casino game played
between the dealer and up to seven players. It is played with a joker
which counts as either an ace or any card required to complete a
flush or straight. There are two variations in hand ranks compared
to standard poker rankings, the highest hand is five Aces and the
straight A2345 is ranked second to AKQJT. The players and dealer
are dealt seven cards each which they split into two hands of five
and two. The five card hand must be better than the two card hand.
The dealer then shows his cards and plays against each player, the
dealer’s
five card hand against the player’s five card hand and the dealer’s
two card hand against the player’s two card hand.
If the dealer wins both hands he wins. If the player wins both hands
he wins. If each player wins one hand there’s a “push” which means
no money changes hands. If any hand is tied the dealer wins it, so:
Dealer/Tie – dealer wins. Player/Tie – push.Tie/Tie – dealer wins.
Texas Holdem By far the most popular poker game in the world today,
probably because it is very simple to learn but extremely difficult
to master. Two cards are dealt to each player, then three face up
on the table (the flop), another face up on the table (the turn),
then a final card face up on the table known as the river. Players
use their own two (hole) cards and any three from the table to make
the best five card hand. There is a round of betting before the flop
then before the turn and river,and finally after the river card is
dealt.
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