Free Online Poker Game Types
There are many different types of poker games to play for free, including limit, pot-limit and no-limit variants. Here are some of the most popular options:
Texas Hold’em
The world’s most popular poker game, Texas Hold’em, sees players make the strongest five-card hand from two private hole cards and five community cards. If your opponents haven’t folded by the end of the betting rounds, a showdown decides the winner.
Three Card
Unusually for poker games, Three Card Poker is played against the house using a 52-card playing deck. You get three cards from the off, with no further draws, and can bet on getting a pair or better, and/or having a higher-ranking hand than the dealer. It’s a great poker variant for lovers of fast, simple games.
Omaha
Omaha is similar to Texas Hold’em, which makes it a great choice if you feel like trying something new. Omaha poker games see players make their best hand from two of four hole cards and three of five community cards. Standard poker hand rankings apply in the event of a showdown between two or more players.
Omaha Hi/Lo
Players create their best poker hand in an Omaha Hi/Lo game in the same way as regular Omaha. The major difference is that, in the event of a showdown, the players with the best high and low hands share the pot. If there is no qualifying low hand (where the cards are ranked 8 or lower), the player with the best high hand takes the lot.
Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw may be familiar to newbies who’ve only ever played poker casually with friends and family at home. It’s a simple game, with no community cards. Players are dealt five cards face down, which they can exchange for new ones across the betting rounds. You can check, call, raise, and bluff as standard, and the usual poker hand ranking determines the winner.
Seven Card Stud
The go-to variant before Texas Hold’em took over, Seven Card Stud is one for old school fans. Players get three cards at the start of the game, one dealt face up. Over four additional betting rounds, each player receives an extra four cards, face up and face down. Those who make it to the showdown create their best hand of five from the seven cards available to them.
Razz
Razz plays out like a game of Seven Card Stud, but players try to make a low hand from the seven cards received, rather than a high hand. This makes Razz a fun spin on the more generally familiar poker dynamic. The best hand in Razz is 5, 4, 3, 2, A, – known as ‘The Wheel’.
HORSE
An acronym of five different poker variants, HORSE stands for Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Stud and Eight-or-Better (Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo). HORSE sees players cycle between the variants, making it an intriguing test of your general poker prowess.
