Texas Holdem poker has grown to be the dominating variation of the game over recent years. While all online poker sites offer this, there are many other poker variations on offer too. This article looks at 5 popular poker alternatives, giving a brief overview of the games and betting variations that you will find online.

- Alternative To Texas Holdem #1 – Omaha High Poker

Omaha poker is played with a flop, turn and river the same as the more popular Texas Holdem. The main difference is that you are dealt 4 hole cards rather than 2. At showdown exactly 2 cards from your hand and 3 cards from the board must be used to make the best poker hand.

Holding 4 hole-cards means that there are 6 potential 2-card ‘combinations’ in each players hand. This leads to Omaha being referred to as a ‘game of the nuts’ since the hands made are generally far stronger than in other forms of the game. The most popular form of this game is called Pot-limit Omaha, where bets can be any amount up to the size of the current pot. Fixed Limit and No-Limit Omaha can be found but are less popular both live and online.

- Alternative To Texas Holdem #2 – Omaha Hi-Lo Split

Omaha Hi-Lo Split is another game where community cards are dealt and each player received 4 hole-cards. The difference here is that the pot is split into 2 at showdown. Half of the pot is awarded to the highest poker hand using 2 from a players hand and 3 from the board – the other half goes to the lowest hand. To qualify for the low a player must have 5 different cards 8 or lower – when there is no low possible the entire pot will be awarded to the player with the high hand.

This game is usually played in fixed or pot-limit betting – though it can also be found in no-limit format. The pots are often large and the play loose and wild, with many players having a draw to something. Good strategy in Omaha Hi-Lo poker is to play hands which have a chance of winning both sides of the pot – this is known as ‘scooping’.

- Alternative To Texas Holdem #3 – 7-Card Stud

Stud Poker has been around since the earliest records of the game, and is still a very popular variation. In this form of poker each player is dealt their own 7 cards, 4 of which are visible to all and 3 ‘face down’. With a total of 5 betting rounds compared to the 4 in Holdem the pots can grow large. Stud Poker is usually played with a fixed limit betting structure and can occasionally be found in pot-limit format.

Taking note of the cards which are visible, especially when folded, can give players a large edge in 7-card stud. There is also more scope for hand-reading as you combine the way a player’s visible cards improve (or otherwise) with their betting patterns. It is important to start with strong hands in 7-card stud, as any later improvements can otherwise be too visible to opponents (for example 4 flush cards) and stop you from winning a large pot.

- Alternative To Texas Holdem #4 – Razz

Razz is similar in format to 7-card stud with each player having their own 7 cards, 4 of which are visible to the entire table. The difference is that Razz players are trying to make the lowest possible poker hand. Since straights and flushes are not included the lowest possible hand is Ace-2-3-4-5, this is known as the wheel. Razz is played almost exclusively in fixed limit betting format – like other stud games the bets double after the 5th card is dealt.

Strategy for Razz requires a good knowledge of pot odds and good observation of those cards which are already out – even when folded. A good awareness of situations where it may be possible to steal the antes, and the hand match-up statistics for made hands against draws to better lows are also required in this popular and interesting poker variation.

- Alternative To Texas Holdem #3 – Draw Poker

The most common form of draw poker is 5 card draw, where all the cards are dealt face down and players get one chance to exchange any number of their unwanted cards. This poker variation has a limited amount of information compared to both community card games and ‘board’ (stud) games, which makes observing the previous tendencies of your opponents and betting patterns critical in winning over time.

Draw poker can be played with fixed limit, pot limit or no-limit betting structures. There are many variations of this game which involve including ‘wild cards’ (sometimes called a ‘bug). Low-hand variations and exotic multi-draw games such as 2-7 triple draw can also be found at many online poker sites.

By: Mark R. Holland

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