Top Poker Game Variants to Play at Legal Poker Sites

Poker is a fan-favourite casino game that’s often played at land-based and online casinos. It’s a simple game with simple rules – but still, so many variants exist that it’s impossible to keep track of them all.

Moreover, regardless of how fun and entertaining is playing poker games at legal US poker sites online, it can sometimes become dull – which is why one should explore possible variants and try something new and refreshing. Here are the most popular poker game variants punters often play at online poker sites.

Texas Hold’em

The first variant and arguably the most famous one is the Texas Hold’em poker. Almost all legal gambling websites in the USA offer Texas Hold’em Poker, precisely because of its popularity. It’s widespread, easy to learn, and offers more than enough chances to have fun and earn something along the way. The No Limit Texas Hold’em variant is the Rolls Royce of poker – something everybody wished to see and experience.

A typical round consists of card dealing in which the two players positioned left of the button place forced blind bets. Subsequently, the dealer deals two hole cards to each player, and then the action starts with the leftmost player with the big blind. The flop consists of three cards dealt onto the table after the first betting phase.

The community cards used are there for the players, and after another betting phase, the dealer adds another community card. This is called the “turn” and is followed by another community “river” card. The best 5-card poker hand wins the round.

Omaha Hi

The second variant with the largest fanbase is certainly the Omaha Hi. Omaha Hi refers to the rule that the highest hand in the round wins the entire pot. In general, the game offers a pot limit, so many punters have turned to call it the Pot-Limit Omaha, or in short, POT. The variant is very similar to Texas Hold’em but there is one crucial difference: you get four hole cards, instead of two. Players use two of those to combine them with the community cards to make the best 5-card hand.

The rest of the round is similar to Texas Hold’em – players are dealt hole cards, and the dealer proceeds to deal the community cards. In total, there are five community cards, three of which can be used for the hand.

In general, beginners enjoy this variant as it is very easy to master. However, it would be good to practice online with bonus funds before investing real money.

7-Card Stud

Stud Poker is a common poker variance at online poker sites. It was exceedingly popular before the Moneymaker’s ’poker boom’ that brought Texas Hold’em into the spotlight. Before the Texas variant burst onto the scene, the Stud poker variant dominated the classic gambling lobbies and casino sites. However, if measured by today’s standards, it is not as exciting of games you can find – but it certainly deserves respect and attention, as many punters remain loyal to the 7-Card Stud game.

The game is different from the first two mostly because there are no community cards. Instead, players are dealt three cards (one is face-up). The punter with the lowest face-up card (called the ’door’) has the option to choose between ’bringing it in’ or ’completing’. Before the round starts, all participants have to pay an ante bet.

The dealer will then let players fold, call, or raise. They then deal the fourth card (called the fourth street). The betting starts from the player that now has the highest card. Moreover, the round will continue with the fifth and sixth streets and the final seventh card that’s dealt face-down. The player with the best 5-card hand wins.

5-Card Draw

Just like Texas Hold’em poker, the 5-Card Draw variant uses a dealer button and blinds. This similarity is what kept the variant popular, as it’s quite simple to learn and very entertaining if you like bluffing. The point of the round is to make the best 5-card poker hand out of the cards you’ve dealt. Every player receives five cards from the dealer, after which betting commences. The player on the left side of the big blind starts with the bets first – choosing to raise, fold, or call.

After the first betting phase, all players get to choose to replace some of the cards that they are holding. After this section ends, the punters engage in another round of betting. Once the second betting phase ends, the players must show their cards.

A great thing about this variant is that, although there are few live poker games, online versions of this 5-Card Draw game are abundant. Moreover, players need only a little bit of strategizing to gain experience and skill.

Gerald Bax

“Incurable internet trailblazer. Troublemaker. Explorer. Professional pop culture nerd.”