Variety of Poker Games

Varieties of poker games differ from one another in how much information about opponents hands is revealed and when.

The obvious source of information is the up-cards that have been dealt, unless of course you are playing draw Poker. Either too much or too little information about opponents’ hands is likely to lead to infrequently contested pots.

When a lot of information has been revealed, one hand will appear clearly dominant and will thus take only a small pot when the other players fold. This kind of dilemma is often present in stud Poker.

On the other hand, (as is the case in draw Poker, which reveals little information), large contested pots occur only when two players think they have very strong hands. Too little information does however have one advantage over too much: it makes successful bluffing a realistic possibility, and probably explains why draw Poker was one of the classic games of the old style, inscrutable, Poker faced players of fiction.

Poker Games - Draw Poker

There are two central features of these poker games. The first is that a complete hand is dealt face down at the beginning of the game to each player. The second is one or more rounds of exchanging cards (called the draw) from your hand with new ones dealt from the deck. There is a round of betting after the initial deal and after each round of exchanges.

Poker Games - Stud Poker

With this style of poker game, the initial deal comprises of cards both face-down and face-up in an incomplete hand. The hands are completed by dealing a single card in each round which can be face-up or down depending on the particular game. After each round of dealing there is betting.

Poker Games - Community Poker

Here cards are initially dealt face down to each player and then three more face up in the centre of the table as communal cards (these are known as the flop). Two further rounds occur where one more card is dealt face up each time. Each round has betting. Each players final hand is comprised of some cards from his hand and some from the flop.

These basic rules are what makes Poker an enjoyable and accessible game that many will continue to play throughout their lives – some very seriously – but most for the sheer enjoyment of it.