VARIATIONS OF POKER

The game of poker is rapidly becoming the most popular, widely known and widely played casino game of them all, but most of us, even those of us who play the game ourselves, are unaware of the intricacies of the game, on terms of things like the types of poker, or even if that there was more than one type!

There are many types of poker, and most of them follow an outline of the same style of play, including hand rankings – the rules governing which cards are considered of higher value than others. The different types of poker fall loosely into four groups, as determined by the variations in card dealing – when and how many – and betting – when, if compulsory and how much.

• Straight – Each player is given a full hand and players bet in only that one round, with the standard protocol of raising, and then re-raising being legitimate. The ‘Straight’ family of poker games is the oldest of all the four main groups, and was born of Primero and later three card brag. These early forerunners of the straight game were popular during the American Revolutionary War, and in the UK three card brag is still played. This type of poker game is usually played as a ‘decider’ after other forms of poker, which often allow for more intricate game play.

• Stud – Cards are given to players via a mixture of seen and unseen rounds, with players being able to bet after every round. This form of poker shows the progression from 3 to 5 card hands. The most popular variant of this family of poker is the seven card stud, in which players must attempt to make the best 5 card hand.

• Draw – Each player is given a full hand that is placed face-down, after which players are allowed to better their hand by ridding themselves of unwanted cards and being dealt new ones.

• Community – Perhaps the most famous and popular of all the families, community game players are dealt an unfinished unseen hand, and a number of community cards are dealt in the middle of the table which apply to every player and can be used to create a winning hand. Texas hold-em is a popular version of this variant.