Texas Hold’em
Everyone knows the game Texas Hold’em. It’s the Cadillac of poker. World Poker Tour announcer Mike Sexton claims it takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. I’ll try to explain it in a few sentences. You’re dealt two cards, your “hole cards.” There’s a round of betting. Then, three community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table called the “flop.” Another round of betting ensues. Then, a fourth card is dealt face up, called the “turn.” There’s another round of betting before the final community card, the “river,” is dealt. All you have to do is make your best five card hand. Simple, right? Texas Hold’em is a game of skill, meaning the longer you play and the more you study, the better you’ll do. The game comes in no limit, pot limit, and fixed limit varieties. Each has its own set of strategies and betting amounts. You’d be wise to start small and work your way up to the higher stakes games.
Omaha
No, this game doesn’t involve trivia based on the city in Nebraska. You’re dealt four cards face down. Only you can see them. The betting and revealing of community cards works the same as in Texas Hold’em. However, at the end of the game, you’re still making your best five card hand. The catch is that you have to use exactly two of your own cards and exactly three of the community cards to make your final hand. Many Texas Hold’em players find Omaha difficult and vice-versa. I’d recommend playing in a few low stakes Omaha sit and go tournaments to warm up. Omaha is played in Hi and Hi-Low formats. In Omaha Hi, you’re just playing for the best hand. In Omaha Hi-Low, the best and the worst hand split the pot. There’s definitely a lot to keep track of.
Seven Card Stud
Your grandma could probably teach you how to play seven card stud and may play it fiercely herself, but the game regularly attracts some of the brightest poker minds out there. This game is completely different than Omaha or Texas Hold’em. Each player is dealt three cards of their own to start, two down and one face up. You’re only allowed to use the cards dealt to you, which is the main difference. Three more cards are dealt face up to you, one at a time, with a round of betting after each card you’re dealt. The seventh card is dealt face down and you make your best five card poker hand. Seven Card Stud, like Omaha, is played in Hi and Hi-Low varieties. In the former, just the best hand at the end wins. In the latter, the best and worst hand at the table split the pot.
Razz and Triple Draw
If you think you always get the worst cards possible, head over to the Razz and Triple Draw tables. Razz is played the same way as Seven Card Stud, but your goal is to make the worst hand possible. The best part is that flushes and straights don’t count and aces are low, which means the best hand is A-2-3-4-5. In Triple Draw, you’re playing five card draw trying to get the worst hand you can. You get three draws to make a hand similar to 2-3-4-5-7, the “best” possible hand in Triple Draw. Unlike Razz, flushes and straights count and aces are high.
HORSE
One of the most action-packed, high-stakes games at the World Series of Poker is HORSE. Consisting of Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, and Stud Eight or Better, HORSE tests the minds of some of the greatest poker players on the planet. The type of poker being played changes every blind level, typically, meaning you need to have mastered each type of poker before you dive into the HORSE table.