Well I guess the short answer is - HUNDREDS! Poker is a game that unlike other cards such as bridge, pontoon or cribbage, has constantly evolved. One reason for this is that countries of a different culture have their own variations. For the purpose of this article, however, we'll concentrate on the mainstream games that can be played online. Nearly all websites let you play Texas Hold'em, Omaha and 7 Card Stud, but some like PokerStars out do the competition with the sheer choice of different games and tournaments on offer. As I'm a member and a regular at the tables of PokerStars I've grown accustomed to these games but am nowhere near proficient in them all as I am Texas Hold'em. Now and again it's good to stretch and challenge yourself with a new game, otherwise how else are you going to develop and improve as a player. So lets start at the beginning...
What is Poker?
A poker game is played with 52 cards. There are four suits - Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs and Spades (when playing cards were first invented there was a fifth suit called Eagle but it never caught on) - and in each suit there are 13 cards running 2 to 10, with four court cards Jack, Queen, King and Ace. The Ace can be used as the highest / lowest card depending on what you are playing. In Texas Hold'em for instance there are 91 possible starting hands that you can be dealt, giving you a 1.09% chance of drawing a pair of Aces. It is often thought that the poker that we know today is a decedent of a 16th Century English card game called Primero.
The four types of poker played today are Straight poker (3 Card Brag), Stud poker (7 Card Stud, Razz), Draw poker (2-7 Triple Draw, 5 Card Draw) and Community card poker (Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Shanghai). As well as high card games, there are also 'lowball' and high / low variants.
3 Card Brag Poker
3 Card Brag was made famous in recent years as the game that featured in London gangster film, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and is one of the purest forms of the original poker game that was played during the 1800s. In 3 Card Brag each player has a choice to see their cards or go blind, which is to bet against your opponents even though you don't know what you have. The betting continues until only two players are left, and the game goes head to head. The best possible hand is trips, then a pair and then high card. Although a popular game in some regions of the world, 3 Card Brag is not available online. Another name for this game is Blind Man's Bluff.
7 Card Stud Poker
In 7 Card Stud two face down cards are dealt to each player, while a third is dealt face up. There is a round of betting, and then a forth card is dealt to each player face up, then another bet, a fifth face up, another bet, a sixth face up, another bet and then finally a seventh face down. Each player now have four face cards and three hidden cards, and on the strength of these cards bet in the showdown to call and see each others cards. The highest 7 card hand wins. 7 Card Stud, although still popular, has mainly been replaced by Texas Hold'em in many online poker rooms. This classic can still be found at PokerStars.
Razz (Lowball) Poker
Razz is a version of 7 Card Stud where the lowest hand wins instead of the highest. In Razz
an Ace is a low card and counts as 1.
5 Card Draw Poker
In 5 Card Draw each player is dealt five cards that only they can see. After a round of betting each player in turn can opt to drop up to three cards and replace them with cards drawn from the deck. After another round of betting each player has one last drawing opportunity from the deck, and then everyone lays their final bets and show their cards. The winner is the player with the highest five card hand. A 7 Card Draw game is also available at most poker rooms where 5 Card Draw is offered, one of them being PokerStars.
2-7 Triple Draw Poker
2-7 Triple Draw is a low variant of 5 Card Draw where each player attempts to make the lowest hand of cards from 2 to 7 from three drawing rounds instead of two.
Texas Hold'em Poker
In Texas Hold'em each player receives two cards and after a round of betting, three face up community cards are laid out on the middle of the table, bets are made again, then a forth is laid down, after more betting, a fifth is laid down giving each player the opportunity of making the best five card hand from their two pocket cards and the five community cards. One or two of their pocket cards can be used with up to four of the community cards. These cards can be used by each player, which is where the biggest challenge in Texas Hold'em arises. Texas Hold'em is the biggest game online and can be found at all poker rooms in limit, pot limit and no-limit variations.
Shanghai Poker
Shanghai is a three card variant of Texas Hold'em where three cards are dealt to each player along with five community cards being placed in the middle, giving each player a total of eight cards to make up the highest five card hand. Shanghai is rare to find but can be found at PokerStars.
Omaha Poker
Omaha goes one better than Shanghai Poker, with each player being dealt four cards, along with five community cards. The difference with Omaha however, is that the rules are stricter. Exactly two cards of your four pocket cards must be used along with exactly three of the five community cards, which means making flushes and straights more difficult.
Omaha High / Low Poker
In this variation of Omaha the pot is split between the player holding the highest hand and the player holding the lowest. The lowest hand must contain cards 8 or under, and an Ace is used as a low card making Kings the highest card in Omaha High / Low.
2-7 Triple Draw Poker
2-7 Triple Draw is a low variant of 5 Card Draw where each player attempts to make the lowest hand of cards from 2 to 7 from three drawing rounds instead of two.
In Texas Hold'em each player receives two cards and after a round of betting, three face up community cards are laid out on the middle of the table, bets are made again, then a forth is laid down, after more betting, a fifth is laid down giving each player the opportunity of making the best five card hand from their two pocket cards and the five community cards. One or two of their pocket cards can be used with up to four of the community cards. These cards can be used by each player, which is where the biggest challenge in Texas Hold'em arises. Texas Hold'em is the biggest game online and can be found at all poker rooms in limit, pot limit and no-limit variations.
Shanghai Poker
Shanghai is a three card variant of Texas Hold'em where three cards are dealt to each player along with five community cards being placed in the middle, giving each player a total of eight cards to make up the highest five card hand. Shanghai is rare to find but can be found at PokerStars.
Omaha goes one better than Shanghai Poker, with each player being dealt four cards, along with five community cards. The difference with Omaha however, is that the rules are stricter. Exactly two cards of your four pocket cards must be used along with exactly three of the five community cards, which means making flushes and straights more difficult.
Omaha High / Low Poker
In this variation of Omaha the pot is split between the player holding the highest hand and the player holding the lowest. The lowest hand must contain cards 8 or under, and an Ace is used as a low card making Kings the highest card in Omaha High / Low.
