Fun Poker Variations to Try Online
Posted on 27th December 2019.
Poker is one of the most beloved card games all over the world. It comes in many variations and is played everywhere from casinos to casual game nights with friends. Two of the most common variations are Texas Hold’em and Omaha, which are classics. But did you know that there are many more variants you can play online? Dozens and dozens more, in fact.
From helpful articles on poker tips and strategy, to hosting major online seasonal tournaments like the Winter Series, to seemingly-endless poker variants to play, online poker sites certainly seem to have it all. So, what are you waiting for? Have some fun with a new poker variant — or several. Here are some of the best variations to play:
Follow the Queen
This is a variation of seven-card stud. In this game, the queen dictates how the game is played. Whenever a queen is dealt face up, the next card is dealt face up, including the other three cards of the same rank, become wild cards. This is true for everyone playing the game, not just certain players. But if a queen is dealt face up after a queen, the previous wild card becomes canceled. The next card dealt face up after that then becomes a wild card.
Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple
Pineapple is one of the most popular variations because it’s very similar to Texas Hold’em. In this variant, however, the players are dealt three hole cards instead of two. You can make this game “crazier” by playing Crazy Pineapple. In this version, you discard after the flop. Both versions are a must-try for anyone who is a fan of Hold’em.
Razz
This variation is one of the oldest poker variations. It’s also one of the more common ones, and you can often find it offered at land-based casinos. It’s very similar to seven card stud, but in Razz, the goal is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you’re dealt. So the best possible hand that you can make is as follows: 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.
HORSE
Can’t choose which poker variation to play? Then you need to play HORSE. This game is a combination of several poker games: Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Eight or Better. You need to be able to play all five games and keep their rules in mind when playing HORSE. If you can do that, HORSE will be a very fun game to play. Additionally, most games are played with fixed limits, but occasionally you’ll run into no limits or pot limits.
Roll Your Own
This is another variation of seven-card stud. In this game, the dealer deals all of the cards face down. The players are then allowed to look at the cards and decide which cards to reveal. This process essentially repeats until it’s time for each player to reveal their hand. To play, you need at least five players and no more than seven players.
Jacks or Better
For this five-card-draw game, betting can’t start until one player is able to open with a pair of jacks or a better pair (hence the name). If no one can open on that round, in the next round the players must open with a pair of queens or better. If still no one can open, the round begins again and players must have kings or better. After that, it’s aces or better. If still no one can open, it starts over with jacks and the whole process repeats again. Players will then have the option to draw up to five cards after someone opens. Then the betting round and showdown happens. After that, the person with the best five cards wins.
There are so many poker variants available online (in addition to many other casino games) that it’ll take you a while to make it through them all. But who knows, you might just find your new favorite poker game in the process.