Poker has been around since the early 1800s, introduced in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. More than 200 years later, people the world over are enjoying it on their smartphones, tablets, and desktops on the internet. The first-ever online games wherein money changed hands took place on January 1st, 1998, reportedly US$3/US$4 Limit Hold’em variants.
Poker also spawned another very popular online pastime, Video Poker, with the original machine named the Poker-Matic becoming available to the public in 1970. Top sites like Grand Rush casino online now make these games available for players as well and they’re popular everywhere. Combining the skill requirement of regular poker with the fast pace of slots, they’re perfect for players short on time.
If you’re a fan of this age-old game, you’ll be glad to hear that there are many variations for you to enjoy online. If you know the basics of Poker, you’ll find learning the new rules easy, but each variant has its own special something to offer.
Five-Card Draw
Everyone in Five-Card Draw is initially dealt 4 cards, after which a round of betting takes place. Then you can exchange up to 3 cards, another round of wagers is made, and then the player with the best poker-ranked hand wins.
High Low Chicago
High Low Chicago modifies the Seven-Card Stud formula so that winning relies on the highest hand or the lowest one. There can also be two winners, with each one splitting the pot. The player with the highest-value spade card in the hole will take half the pot. Whoever has the top ranked hand after this gets the rest.
The exception to this is if a player has the best spade in the hole as well as the best hand. This means they’ll get the entire pot.
Omaha
Many players think of Omaha Poker as Texas Hold’em with a twist. In Omaha, each player gets 4 hole cards instead of just 2. But they can only use 2 cards from their hand along with the 3 community cards and everyone plays until the game ends.
Seven-Card Stud
This variant begins with 2 cards facing down and 1 facing up, the hole and door cards respectively. Players are then dealt 7 cards, 3 facing down, four facing up, and need to create the best 5-card combination. Everyone reveals their hands after the last round of betting and the highest ranked 5-card hand from the 7 dealt wins.
Texas Hold’em
Each card is dealt 2 hole cards to start a Texas Hold’em game. Next, 3 community cards are dealt, then a 4th is dealt, and then a 5th. Bets are placed after each of these steps and players call, fold, or raise throughout.
The aim is to make the best 5-card hand out of the 7 available, with the top-ranked hand winning in a showdown and the last player in the game winning the rest of the time.
Easy Online Access The beauty of online poker games is that they’re available wherever there is an internet connection, so you’re not limited as to when you can play. They’re also available in free mode, so you can practise without risking losing any money.
