Poker comes in many variants. They share the same hand rankings but differ in how cards are dealt, how betting works, and what makes a winning hand. Pick your game below.
All poker variants share the same hand rankings (from high card up to royal flush) and the same core idea: bet on your hand's strength, read your opponents, and win the pot. The variants differ in how many cards you get, which cards are shared, and how many betting rounds occur. Choose your game below.
The world's most popular poker game. 2 hole cards, 5 community cards, 4 betting rounds. Used in the World Series of Poker.
View rulesLike Hold'em but you get 4 hole cards and must use exactly 2 of them. More action, bigger hands, deeper strategy.
View rulesThe classic home game poker. Get 5 cards, bet, discard and draw new cards, then bet again. Simple and fun.
View rulesThe pre-Hold'em classic. 7 cards dealt in stages (some face-up, some face-down), no community cards. Best 5-card hand wins.
View rulesA fast casino table game. 3 cards only, play against the dealer. Quick hands and easy to learn.
View rulesA casino game blending poker with Chinese dominoes. Get 7 cards and split them into a 5-card and 2-card hand to beat the dealer.
View rulesAll poker variants use the same hand rankings from best to worst:
New to poker? Learn Texas Hold'em first — it's the most played version worldwide and the easiest to find a game. Once you know it well, Omaha is the natural next step.
All poker variants share the same hand rankings (Royal Flush down to High Card) and the same basic structure: ante/blind, deal, bet/fold/call/raise, showdown. The differences lie in how many cards you receive, how many are shared, and how many betting rounds you play.
Texas Hold'em dominates because the two-card hole hand creates enormous range complexity. Omaha (four hole cards, must use exactly two) rewards stronger hands and bigger pots. Five-Card Draw is the simplest form and best for learning hand rankings.
| Variant | Hole Cards | Community Cards | Complexity | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Hold'em | 2 | 5 shared | Medium | Most popular, tournaments |
| Omaha | 4 (use 2) | 5 shared | Medium-High | Action, bigger pots |
| Five-Card Draw | 5 | None | Low | Beginners, learning hands |
| Seven-Card Stud | 7 (best 5) | None | Medium | Classic, no Hold'em |
| Three-Card Poker | 3 | None | Low | Casino table game |
Texas Hold'em. It's the most played in casinos, online, and home games worldwide. Learning it opens up the most games. Start with no-limit Hold'em — the all-in mechanic makes decisions clearer for beginners.
Blinds are forced bets by the two players to the left of the dealer before cards are dealt. The small blind is half the big blind. Antes are smaller forced bets from all players. Blinds rotate each hand so everyone pays equally over time.
Checking means passing the action to the next player without betting, when no bet has been made yet in that round. You can only check if no one has bet ahead of you.
A tell is a behavioral pattern or physical cue that gives information about a player's hand. Common tells include hesitation before betting a strong hand, speeding up when bluffing, or protecting cards when holding a good hand. Online poker eliminates most physical tells.