There’s a steep learning curve involved when it comes to poker, a card game that involves many strategies and rules. With a diverse poker games list, it can be years before you get bored of playing this popular casino game.

While some variations of poker are incredibly popular, such as Omaha and Texas Hold’em, there are also many variants with a niche player base.

Here is a list of the six most popular poker card games:

Texas Hold’em

This is perhaps the most popular poker variation and a great place to start if you want to learn how to play poker.

The dealer in Texas Hold’em will shuffle a standard deck of cards. Every player will receive two-hole cards, and the objective of the game is to create the best possible five-card hand.

The action starts with the player seated to the left of the dealer and moves clockwise. After the players place the bet, the next steps are:

• Pre-flop
• Flop
• Turn
• River

On the table, the dealer places five community cards on the flop, turn and river. The players must use these seven cards to create the best five-card hand.

Omaha 

Omaha makes it to the top of the most exciting types of poker games. In this particular variation, players receive four-hole cards and may use only two cards from these.

There are five community cards, just like in Texas Hold’em, with a flop, turn and river. The betting rounds are also similar. There may be other variations, such as Omaha 8-or-Better or Omaha High in a pot-limit or limit format.

• In Omaha High, the objective of the game is to have the best high hand to win the pot.
• In Omaha 8-or-Better, the pot splits between the best high and best low hands. For a low hand, a player must have five cards that are eight or lower to qualify.

This is a fast-paced game where players make nuts often. The position is also quite important in this game when creating different hand combinations.

Three-card poker

Among the different types of poker, three-card poker has managed to gain a lot of popularity because it is easy to play and a lot of fun. The game is exciting because players can play against the dealer and also win based on their hand.

The objective of three-card poker is to make the best poker hands with just three cards. Playing the game is quite easy and straightforward.

• A player will place an ante wager and/or a pair plus wager to start the game. Players place a bet that they will have at least a pair in their cards or better.
• Next, three cards will be dealt to the players as well as to the dealer. The cards will be face down. Players will only be playing against the dealer, not the other players.
• The players will look at their cards to determine if they want to pit their hand against the dealer by placing a play wager. The play wager will be the same as the ante wager.

Four-card poker

Four-card poker is another exciting variation to add to your poker games list. This variation features a heads-up play against the dealer, along with a bonus bet feature. There are three ways to play the game:

• Players can wager against a dealer.
• Players can wager against a paytable.
• Players can wager against a paytable and the dealer.

In four-card, players will receive five cards while the dealer will receive six cards. The objective is to use the best four cards to make the best possible hand.  

There is one major difference between four-card poker and three-card poker. In four-card poker, players are free to bet as much as three times the ante, while in three-card poker, the wager must be the same as the ante.

Pai gow poker 

In Pai Gow poker, players do not play against other players. Instead, they attempt to defeat the banker. In most cases, the banker will be the house dealer. An exception to this is banking, where a player is allowed to and chooses to bet against other players. In this instance, the player plays the role of the banker.

The game is commonly held alongside three-card poker and blackjack in casino pits and can accommodate up to six players.

The objective of pai gow poker is to create two poker hands to beat the banker. Players place a bet and then receive seven cards. Players then split their cards into two hands:

• A high five-card hand that is in the bank.
• A low two-card hand is placed up top or out front.

One requirement of the game is that the high hand should beat the low hand.

Stud games 

Stud games in poker have been popular with players since the 18th century. Modern versions of the games have been around for a century.

In stud games, players are dealt hands with a combination of exposed and hidden cards. This means that the opponents have some idea about what the opponents might hold. As the hand progresses, players receive more cards, and they develop their hands.

There are many variations to explore within stud games, such as Mississippi stud and DJ wild stud poker. In the 20th century, the five-card stud remained popular, but the seven-card stud has also received a lot of attention in the past few years.

Seven-card stud is a go-to game in card rooms and casinos and is also incredibly popular in-home texas holdem games. It is also a perfect variation for new poker players to explore because it is simpler when compared to many other variations.

With so many different kinds of poker games available, online as well as in person, it is easy to see why poker still remains one of the most popular casino games. The variation that is the best for you will depend on your personal preferences. Spend some time exploring different poker games and then learn strategies for the specific variation that interests you to develop mastery.