Poker Variations

This is the most popular version of poker and the one seen on many TV shows like the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker.

The Blinds

When a table opens for the first time a marker called the “dealer button” is positioned in front of a player. The player to the left of the dealer button posts a Small Blind (SB) and the person to the left of the SB posts a Big Blind (BB). The BB is exactly twice the size of the SB.

The Deal

The first card is dealt to the SB and then cards are distributed clockwise around the table, until each player has received two cards. These are known as “hole cards” and are dealt face-down, so the holder is not obliged to reveal them before the showdown.

Pre-Flop

After seeing their cards, players have a decision to make. Do they consider their hand good enough to play or bad enough to fold? The player to the left of the BB has to decide first. He can call, raise or fold. Betting continues clockwise and each player has to match the last bet to continue, re-raise or fold. All players that fold at this stage have no further financial interest in the hand.

The Flop

Three community cards are now dealt across the center of the table known as the flop, which are available to all players still in the hand. Betting begins with the first active player still in the hand to the left of the button. His options are the same as pre-flop, plus a check option. If there has been no bet placed by the player to his right, he can choose to check and remain in the hand without the need to risk any more chips.

The Turn

A forth community card is dealt face-up next to the flop. This betting round is the same as the flop.

The River

A fifth community card is dealt and the fourth and final betting round begins, which is the same as the flop and turn. All players that remain in the hand will have the chance to win the pot at the showdown.

The Showdown

If there is more than one player remaining in the hand, the hole cards will be revealed to determine the winner of the hand.

Omaha Hi/Lo is a "split pot" game. In a few words, the pot is divided in half at the Showdown, with one half being awarded to the winning best hand and the other half to the best qualifying "low hand”.

The High

The winning high hand in Omaha Hi/Lo is identical to that of Omaha High. There are no qualification requirements for the high one, so there will always be a winning high hand.

The Low

Low hands must qualify to be eligible for winning the low half of the pot.

A low hand consists of any two cards from a player's hand and any three cards from the board (community cards).

The cards a player uses for his/her best high hand have no effect on the low hand. The player can use the same cards, different ones or a combination from his/her hand.

A qualifying low hand consists of five different cards, ranked 8 or lower.

Aces are considered low for the low hand.

Flushes and straights are ignored for the low hand, meaning the best low possible is A-2-3-4-5, regardless of the suits.

Low hands are counted from the top down, so the hand is only as good as its highest card.

For example:

2-3-5-6-7 is lower than A-2-3-4-8

Any hand containing a pair or a card higher than 8 does not qualify, even if the rank of the pair is below 8.

Suits do not count toward a low hand; any players sharing the exact same low must equally split the low half of the pot. (Winning half of the low pot and nothing from the high pot is known as being quartered.)

Unlike Omaha or Hold’em, in 7 card stud there are no community cards. Each player is dealt seven cards, three face-down (only visible to the player) and four face-up. All players can see your four face-up cards. However, they are only available to you to make your best poker hand. Likewise, you cannot use other players’ face-up cards to improve your own hand.

Tip: Remember the face-up cards that have been folded!

In 7 card all players who wish to be dealt into a hand must post a small bet called the Ante.

Third Street

Dealing begins left of the button and continues clockwise, until each player is dealt two cards face-down and one face-up. The player with the lowest value face-up card goes first and makes a bet, a forced bet. The only option available to this player is choosing what amount the bet would be, either ½ or the full max bet allowed. Betting continues clockwise and players have to either call the total bet made by the player to their right, fold their hand or raise. There can only be a maximum of three raises per betting round in Limit 7 card.

Fourth Street

Each active player remaining in the hand is then dealt a second card face-up. From now on, until the final betting round, every action starts with the player with the highest poker hand showing. The betting continues the same way as in the third street, however if the player is showing a pair, then he/she can make a bet that is twice the maximum one or check.

Fifth Street

Each remaining player receives a fifth card face-up. Betting continues as before, however from now on the betting increments are the higher of the two limits.

Sixth Street

Each remaining player receives a sixth card face-up. Betting continues as before.

Seventh Street and Showdown

The last card is dealt to each player, however this time it is dealt face-down to each player. A round of betting follows and if there is more than one player remaining at the end of the hand, players will expose their hand to determine the winner.

Badugi is different to most poker games; the lowest hand wins. Unlike other low hand games, in Badugi pairs and flushes count against your hand. A Badugi is a hand where no two cards are of the same value or from the same suit.

The two players to the left of the button post Blinds, a Small Blind and a Big Blind. Each player is then dealt four cards face-down.

Betting Rounds

There are four betting rounds. The first round follows the initial dealing of four cards to each player. The second, third and the fourth or final rounds follow the first, second and third card drawing rounds respectively.

The first betting round starts with the player to the left of the Big Blind. The second, third and fourth betting round start with the player to the left of the dealer. Players may call, raise, fold or check depending on the last action of the player to their right and bets increase with each betting round.

Drawing Cards

After each betting round players can discard any number of their cards and have them replaced with new cards from the remaining deck in order to improve their hand.

Showdown

If more than one player remains after the last betting round, the cards are placed on the table face-up and the winning hand is declared based on the Badugi hand rank.