10 Unusual Variants of Poker to Try Your Hand At

Poker

 

10 Unusual Variants of Poker to Try Your Hand At

 

The game of poker is played by millions worldwide. Estimates from the World Poker Tour suggest there are at least 100 million individual poker players. The majority of those players choose Texas Hold ‘Em – this is the most popular variant of the game and is offered at virtually every casino, poker room or online poker or casino website. However, there are multiple variations on the game of poker. Learning a few new versions can help improve strategy as well as increasing a player’s knowledge.

 

10Pineapple and Pineapple Variations

 

There are several different versions of Pineapple poker, each of which has similar rules with one or two key differences. Each follows more or less the same structure as a game of Hold ‘Em, but with an added twist. At the start of each round, players are dealt three cards rather than two. They must then discard one at a specific point in the game, depending on which version is being played. In regular Pineapple, the third card is discarded straight away. In Crazy Pineapple, players choose which card to get rid of after the flop, and in Lazy Pineapple they keep all three cards until the river has been placed on the board.

 

 

9Badugi

Badugi is a unique poker game that requires a re-learning of what equates a winning hand for most players. It is a lowball draw game in which players are dealt four cards and can choose to discard any number of those in exchange for new cards after each round of betting. At the end of the game, the player who holds the lowest eligible hand wins the pot.

 

8Horse

 

Horse is not so much a variant of poker as a way of playing five different variations at the same time. Horse poker starts with a round of Hold ‘Em, followed by a round of Omaha, which is the second-most popular variation. There is then a round of Razz, then Stud Hi, with a final round of Stud Hi/Lo, which is also referred to as Eight-or-Better, hence the acronym. Playing horse can be a great way to learn how to adapt to different rules and different styles of play.

 

7 Guts

 

Guts poker is becoming increasingly popular among celebrities who enjoy playing poker with a higher element of risk to the game. Each player is dealt three cards which become their hand. They can choose to fold, which means they only lose their ante, or they can stay in and place bets. Every player who stays in must show their cards after bets are placed, and the players who lose are committed to matching the pot amount rather than placing an ante in the next round.

 

6Chinese Poker

 

Chinese poker is slightly unusual in that each player must make not one best hand, but three hands in each round. Players are dealt 13 cards in total and must divide these to make two hands of 5 cards and one hand of 3 cards, in order from strongest to weakest. Strongest hands are then played against each other, followed by medium hands and then the weaker 3-card hand. Players earn one “point” or unit of wagering from all the other players for each hand they win.

 

5Five-Card Stud

 

Five-card stud is one of the earliest recorded forms of poker and also one of the simplest to learn. Each player is initially dealt two cards, one of which is face-up for everyone to see and the other face-down as a secret card. After each round of betting, another face-up card is dealt to each player until everyone has five cards. With no flop, no draws and no lowball strategies, this is a great game for beginners who want something simple to help them learn the best poker hands.

 

4Irish Poker

 

In a game of Irish poker, players are dealt four cards at the beginning. The game then progresses much like Hold ‘Em, except after the flop has been dealt and the post-flop round of betting completed, each player must then discard two of their hole cards. This game can be highly frustrating as the turn or the river card often make what would have been a great hand if only the player has chosen to keep different cards. One top tip is to never reveal a winning hand unless forced to on the showdown – this reveals information to other players that they can bank and use on another occasion.

 

3Razz

 

Razz is one of the variations included in a game of horse poker. Players are dealt three cards, of which two are secret and one is on show to everyone. After a round of betting, each player receives a fourth card face-up, followed by another round of betting. This continues until each player remaining in the game has two face-down cards and four face-up cards. The player with the lowest eligible hand wins the pot.

 

2Vanunu

 

The Vanunu poker variant brings all the fun of an auction to the poker table. Players are dealt seven cards each face-down and can choose to keep two hidden while turning over the other five. There are options for buying new cards, discarding cards, and declaring whether playing for highest or lowest hand, which makes Vanunu complex but a lot of fun for those that can master the rules.

 

1Anaconda

 

In a game of Anaconda, each player starts with seven cards, all of which are secret. After the first round of betting, players must pass three cards from their hand to the player on their left (or right, depending on the choice of the dealer). After another round of betting, two cards are passed and then a single card is passed after the third round.

 

Learning several different styles of poker can help players develop new strategies that may improve their game once they go back to their favourite variation.