Texas Hold'em is just one of many poker variations that share common rules, but each has a distinct personality to test all areas of your poker skills.

Poker games commonly played online include Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 5 Card Draw, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo and Razz as well as Lowball and mixed game formats like H.O.R.S.E.

The lesser known poker variations are often more seen in home games and card rooms; Anaconda, Baseball, Cincinnati, Don Juan, Double Revenge, English Stud, Mexican Stud, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Trees and 7 Card Roll Your Own most use standard poker hand rankings to assess the winning hand, while some have Hi/Lo variations.

Omaha Hi/Lo is often abbreviated as O8 (Omaha eights or better).


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5 Card Draw

5 Card Draw is commonly played with antes, although it can also be played with blinds.

Five cards are dealt face down to each player; a betting round begins from left of the dealer. The players still in can chose to discard none, any or all of their cards and draw the same number of new cards from the top of the pack once. The players bet on this hand one further time before the showdown. Standard poker hands win.

It can also be played as 5 Card Triple Draw.


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7 Card Stud

Seven cards may be dealt to each player (provided that they stay in the hand to the end) in the sequence; two face down and one face up, then three face up and one face down. Betting rounds take place after the initial three cards have been dealt, and after each subsequent card.

The player with the lowest card brings in after the initial deal and the player with the best poker hand begins the betting action on subsequent rounds.

The best poker hand wins.

If playing a Hi/Lo version; similar to Omaha Hi/Lo, for a low hand to take half the pot, the player must have five unique card ranks of 8 or lower.


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Ace to Five Lowball (A-5 Lowball Triple Draw)

In Ace to Five Lowball the two players left of the dealer post the small and big blind respectively. The small blind is half the lower stake and the big blind is equal to the lower stake limit. The big blind is also the size of the minimum bet.

After the blinds are paid each player is dealt five cards, face down. The first of the four betting rounds begins left of the big blind. Players have the usual options; to fold, check, bet or raise.

When all players have acted, players remaining in the hand may discard and re-draw up to five cards in an effort to improve their hand. Subsequent betting rounds begin left of the dealer.

After the final betting round the remaining players go to the showdown. The player with the best hand wins the pot.

The best possible hand in A-5 Lowball poker is 5-4-3-2-A. Straights and flushes do not count for or against the hand.


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2-7 Lowball (2-7 Lowball Triple Draw)

In 2-7 Lowball the two players left of the dealer post the small and big blind respectively. The small blind is half the lower stake and the big blind is equal to the lower stake limit. The big blind is also the size of the minimum bet.

After the blinds are paid each player is dealt five cards, face down. The first of the four betting rounds begins left of the big blind. Players have the usual options; to fold, check, bet or raise.

When all players have acted, players remaining in the hand may discard and re-draw up to five cards in an effort to improve their hand. Subsequent betting rounds begin left of the dealer.

After the final betting round the remaining players go to the showdown. The player with the best low hand wins the pot.

The best possible hand in 2-7 Lowball poker is 7-5-4-3-2. Straights and flushes count against the hand as they make a conventional high hand.


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H.O.R.S.E. and S.H.O.E.

Many online poker sites host tournaments and cash tables with mixed game formats. H.O.R.S.E. games are played in rounds of Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. The 'E' in H.O.R.S.E. comes from the Stud Hi/Lo round needing the low hand to begin from an eight or better.

Common mixed game formats are; H.E.R.O.S. - H.O.S.E. - S.H.O.E. - H.O. - H.A.

PokerStars host an 8 game tournament mixing; Limit 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold'em, Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, Limit Razz, Limit Stud, Limit Stud Hi/Lo, No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha.


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Other Fun Poker Games

For a bit of fun on a Friday night gathering with your poker friends, try some of these poker variations. Most of these games are best played in the Limit format. My personal favourite is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Anaconda

For 4-7 players. Seven cards are dealt face down to each player and an ante is paid. The player to the left of the dealer begins the first betting round. After the first betting round each player passes three cards to the player on their left.

The last player to have raised (or left of the dealer if not) begins the second betting round. After the second betting round, each player passes two cards to the player on their left.

The last player to have raised starts the third betting round. After the third betting round, the player with the best five card poker hand wins.

Anaconda variation #1; After the betting round but before each player passes three or two cards to the left, each player turns one of their cards face up. These up cards cannot now be passed.

Anaconda variation #2 and #3; Standard Anaconda rules apply, in betting and passing cards, but it is played as either a Lowball game or Hi/Lo.


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Baseball

For 3-6 players. 3's and 9's are wild cards (meaning a player holding them can assign any rank/suit to them that they choose).

If at any time a player is dealt a 4 face up, they are immediately dealt another card face down.

Antes are paid. Each player is dealt two cards face down and one card face up. The highest card showing starts the betting round (1st dealt if there is a tie).

The dealing follows that of 7 Card Stud where, seven cards may be dealt to each player (provided that they stay in the hand to the end) in the sequence; two face down and one face up as the initial deal, then three face up and one face down as separated deals. Betting rounds take place after the initial three cards have been dealt, and after each subsequent deal of cards.

Betting in rounds after the first, begins from the best hand showing.

After the final betting round, the player with the best five card poker hand wins. In addition to the standard poker hands, five of a kind (using wild cards) ranks higher than a straight flush.

Baseball variation #1; Players have to pay a pre-arranged bet if the receive a wild card face up.

Baseball variation #2; A player who receives a wild card must double the pot or fold.


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Cincinnati

For 3-9 players. Antes are paid. Five cards are dealt face down to each player and five are dealt face down in the middle of the table. One card from the middle is turned face up.

Betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

After the betting round, each of the other community cards are turned over one at a time, with a round of betting in between each turn, betting begins from the left of the dealer.

After the final betting round, the player with the best five card poker hand wins. Players may use their five cards and the community cards in any combination (including, playing the board).

Cincinnati variation #1 Standard Cincinnati rules apply, in betting and turning cards, but it is played as either a Lowball game or Hi/Lo.


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Don Juan

For 3-8 players. Three cards are dealt face down to each player and an ante is paid.

Betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

Each player may now discard any or all of their cards and be dealt replacements. The last player to have raised (or left of the dealer if not) begins the betting round.

After the betting round, the lowest three cards (counting from the highest to the lowest) wins; i.e. 7-4-2 beats 7-6-1. Straights, Flushes, Trips and Pairs have no value.


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Double Revenge

For 2-7 players and is best played for small bets with deep stacks; antes are paid.

Three cards are dealt face down to each player.

Betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. That player announces whether they are in or out. If any player is out, they must pay half the value of the pot into the middle and fold their cards. Continuing to the left, each player is given the same choice of in or out, paying half the increased value of the pot if they are out.

Any player who stays in is dealt two more cards.

Betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. That player announces whether they are in or out. If any player is out, they must pay half the value of the pot into the middle and fold their cards. Continuing to the left, each player is given the same choice of in or out, paying half the increased value of the pot if they are out.

The best five card hand wins the pot; and with a real twist of the knife, any player in the showdown that has lost, must pay the winner the full value of the pot.


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English Stud

For 3-6 players.

Antes are paid. Each player is dealt two cards face down and one card face up. Betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

After the betting round each player is dealt another card face up, followed by another betting round beginning with the best hand showing.

After the betting round each player is dealt a third card face up, followed by another betting round beginning with the best hand showing.

From left of the dealer, each player may now discard one card and draw a new one from the top of the deck. If they exchange an up card they are dealt an up card in return, if they exchange a down card they receive a down card. Player may choose not to draw a card.

Each player now turns one of their face down cards, upwards.

A sixth and final card is dealt face down. Betting begins from the best hand showing, followed by the showdown; the best five card poker hand wins.

English Stud variation #1; Standard English Stud rules apply, in betting and turning cards, but it is played as either a Lowball game or Hi/Lo.


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Mexican Stud

For 4-10 players. Antes are paid. Each player is dealt two cards face down. Players then turn one card of their choice face up.

The highest card showing starts the betting round (left of the dealer if there is a tie).

Players are dealt another card face down and choose to turn another card face up.

The best hand showing starts the betting round.

Players are dealt a fourth card face down and choose to turn another card face up.

The best hand showing starts the betting round.

Players are dealt a fifth and final card face down and choose to turn another card face up.

The best hand showing starts the betting round, followed by the showdown; the best five card poker hand wins.

Mexican Stud variation #1; Standard Mexican Stud rules apply, in betting and turning cards, but it is played as either a Lowball game or Hi/Lo.


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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

For 3-7 players. Each player is dealt two cards face down, one card face up and antes are paid. Three cards are dealt face down in the middle. These cards are not used at the showdown in forming the winning poker hand. The highest card showing starts the betting round (left of the dealer if there is a tie).

After the betting round each player is dealt a fourth card face up, and the first of the three cards in the middle is turned face up. This is the Good card. Cards of the same rank are now wild (meaning a player holding them can assign any rank to them that they choose for their hand).

A betting round begins from left of the dealer.

After the betting round each player is dealt a fifth card face up, and the second of the three cards in the middle is turned face up. This is the Bad card. Cards of the same rank cannot be used in the final hand.

A betting round begins from left of the dealer.

After the betting round each player is dealt the sixth and final card face up, and the third of the three cards in the middle is turned face up. This is the Ugly card. Any player with the Ugly card up (same rank) must fold.

A betting round begins from left of the dealer, followed by the showdown; the best five card poker hand wins.


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Trees

For 3-10 players. Five cards are dealt to each player and antes are paid. The player to the left of the dealer begins the betting round.

After the betting round, players may freely trade any number of cards with any other player until no one wants to trade. Players must give the same number of cards that they are receiving but must not tell the rank or suit of the card they are trading or wanting.

After the trading is completed, a final round of betting follows from left of the dealer and the best five card poker hand wins.


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7 Card Roll Your Own

For 2-7 players. Seven cards are dealt to each player face down and antes are paid. The player to the left of the dealer begins the betting round.

After the betting round, from left of the dealer each player turns up one card of their choice.

High card begins the second betting round.

Players continue to turn up one card at a time followed by a betting round beginning from the best hand showing.

After the final betting round and the remaining players show their final card, the best five card poker hand wins.


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