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The Different Variants of Poker Games

Poker is played in gaming circles, casinos, private parties, and increasingly on the Internet via online poker sites. Poker in casinos and online poker sites can be summarized in the common forms of Stud and open-ended community card poker games (Flops). Among the most popular forms of poker, Texas Hold Em is the most favored game. It has a prominent place in tournaments. The World Series of Poker (WSOP), held annually in Las Vegas, has a flagship event where Texas Hold’em is the main variant. Next are: Closed Poker, 5 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud, Omaha High, Omaha High/Low.

H.O.R.S.E., which combines different poker variants played in turn, is back in fashion. Private games can generate other varieties of poker according to the players’ imagination. The media coverage of international competitions (especially in the USA) has highlighted the apparent simplicity of this game, but many authors have shown that it requires real technical skill. Specialized books on this subject are numerous and are becoming essential to study the strategy of the game.

The Number of Players

At a single table, a poker game can host from two players (“heads-up“) to ten players, whether in a cash game (the player leaves the table when he no longer wishes to commit his money) or in a tournament (elimination of the player who has lost all the chips he was given at the beginning of the tournament). There is no limit to the number of players in a multi-table tournament, depending on the capacity of the venue. In large competitions, some tournaments can have as many as 1,000 participants.

The World Championships held in Las Vegas, USA has over 5,000 players. Typically, for a single table tournament (or “sit and go”), the buy-in is redistributed 70% to the first table and 30% to the second. The payout (the “Prize Pool”) is proportional to the number of players. For every 1000 players, the first 100 players will generally be paid (i.e. 10% of the number of players). The prizes will decrease, starting from the winner and then decreasing for each player who is in the prize pool.

Sit & Go: First Stage in One Table Tournament

Let’s say you’re playing a ten-player single-table tournament, also known as a “sit & go” on the Internet, in Texas Hold’em:

• When all ten seats are filled, play can begin.
• A coin toss selects the first dealer and signals him with a “button” marked “D”. The deal goes clockwise. The two players sitting to the left of the button each post a blind. There is a small blind and a big blind.
• Each player is dealt two hole cards (i.e. face down). The player sitting immediately to the left of the big blind speaks first.
• When it’s your turn, you have the option of calling, raising or folding. If you are in the blind and no one has raised, you have already bet half the amount required to stay in the game and see more cards. If you are over-indexed and no one has raised, you have to bet the required amount to stay in the game and see other cards, but you are still allowed to raise. If a raise has occurred before you, regardless of where you sit, you have the option of re-raise, call or fold. The cards of each player who has folded are removed from the table.

• The Flop: 3 Face-Up Cards in the Middle of the Table
  the dealer displays three open cards (faces up) in the middle of the table. Players who are still in play (who still have their two hole cards) mentally “marry” these cards with their hole cards to form a meld. A second betting round begins. If no one has opened the trick, you can just check, which allows you to stay in the game without paying anything. But if someone has opened, you have to call or raise to stay in the game and see the next card. If you don’t, you pass (“fold”) and your cards are removed from the table (“muck”).

• The Turn: A fourth card joins the flop. A third round of betting begins. Again, each player speaks in turn and can check, call, raise, or fold depending on the decisions of the previous players.
• The River: A fifth and final card joins the flop and the turn. A fourth and final round of betting begins. If a player matches an opponent’s bid, the cards are dealt, and the pot (all bets) is awarded to the player with the best hand.
• If at any stage of the game, a bid is not called or raised by anyone, the bidder automatically wins the pot without showing his cards.
• When the winner is determined, the hand is over. The button passes to the next player, and a new hand begins. The blinds increase after a set time.
• A player who loses a hand and has no chips left is eliminated from the tournament. When only one player is left, the tournament is over, and the prize money (the entire buy-in) is divided among the winners.
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Online Poker

Playing at online poker sites allows you to play poker in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a computer and a connection to practice, which is one of the reasons it’s so popular. It is also a way to find opponents 24 hours a day. The most popular poker sites allow you to enter free games, cash games that start at 4 cents, or tournaments of all levels. Almost all online poker sites are multi-lingual, making them easy to access.

A good way to practice is through free poker tournaments (Freeroll.) They allow you to practice without risk while learning the game. Pokernews offers throughout the year a multitude of free poker tournaments to allow you to learn the game, to progress and, with a little luck, to qualify for the biggest tournaments in the world!