Poker Games;
Learning how to Play
Poker games are at an all time high in popularity right now, thanks to an explosion of coverage of poker tournaments by several television stations as well as the internet. Poker coverage on television allowed people to see poker played at a level unheard of before; the skill of the players as well as the obvious glamour involved proved irresistible to many. For those who could not get in on the big action, the internet offered a way to play different versions of poker in their spare time, without having to worry about finding enough friends and making a night out of it. Just like it was in the wild west of a century and a half ago, poker is once again America’s favorite pastime. This time around, though, it looks as though the card game is popular not just in the United States, but all over the world.
Of course, if you want to play at all, first you have to learn to play poker. This is probably the easiest step for anyone when it comes to playing the game; there are countless resources both online and off that can teach you how hands are ranked and the odds of each in the various versions of the game. In fact, the biggest problem may be in deciding which version of the game you should concentrate on; let’s take a look at the variations you are most likely to encounter.
Draw: The oldest and original game of poker was Draw poker. Although the popularity of this game has gone to the wayside of holdem poker, it’s still popular in many homes that are host to regular poker gatherings or clubs that want to offer something a little different than hold ’em. The basic idea of the game is based on each player being dealt a complete hand before the first betting round. As the play progresses, each player tries to make their hand better for later betting rounds by replacing, or “drawing”, cards. Find out what different Draw poker games you can play here.
Holdem: Texas hold ‘em is hands down the most popular form of all the poker games being played today. This is probably because most people don’t have any trouble learning how to play holdem; the game is deceptively simple. Really you just need to know what cards in which combinations will get you a winning hand, and you have the basics down. In order to really have a chance of winning, though, you’ll have to play holdem poker several times and against quality opponents. Once you start winning regularly, you’ll know that you have the skill to take it to the next level. Learn more and play Holdem poker here.
Omaha poker is the next most popular variation. There are actually two different versions – high low split and high – so again make sure that if you want to play Omaha poker, you are selecting the game you are used to. Learn more and play Omaha poker here.
Stud poker ranks third in the game’s popularity. Stud poker play will be determined again by the variation you are engaging in; in addition to five or seven card there are further sub-variations that can be tried. Learn more about Stud poker games and play here.
If you are looking for some other poker to play, you still have a lot of choices. Draw poker is the original version, but it has been eclipsed in popularity by the versions above. As we’ve already mentioned, even the popular poker games have several different variations; holdem includes pineapple holdem (which is further divided into crazy and lazy pineapple) and house games all have their own rules too.
There’s a lot of different poker games out there to choose from, but as long as you have the necessary skills when it comes to reading other players and a good betting strategy, you’ll enjoy success in any of them.
