In the vast realm of poker, Texas Hold’em has long reigned as the most popular iteration. However, as any poker player will attest to, they like to switch things up every now and then to try out some different versions of their favorite table game with lesser-known variants offering unique twists that add flavor to the traditional experience.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look through some of the poker alternatives that you may not have heard of before.
Pot-Limit Omaha
For the players who want to add a bit more action to the table, Omaha poker will often be the chosen game. This is an interesting alternative to poker, often dubbed as the “action game,” that’s slightly more complex than your typical poker game.
In Omaha, each player receives four ‘hole’ cards instead of two, this means that there is a much larger number of possibilities. But, of course, there’s always got to be a catch – in this game, the catch is that players must use exactly two of their hole cards in combination with three of the community cards to form their hand.
This twist may take a little bit to get your head around but introduces a dynamic element to the table game. It requires players to carefully navigate through a multitude of potential combinations, with all these choices and possibilities, Omaha makes for a thrilling poker experience.
Common variations of PLO4 includes PLO5 and PLO6. Both of these games include hands with equities even closer to one another than in four-card PLO.
Seven-card stud
Venturing into the classics, Seven-card Stud stands as a time-honored alternative that actually predates the omnipresence of Texas Hold’em – which is surprising because there are still a lot of poker players who haven’t heard of this alternative before.
In this game, players receive a total of seven cards – three face-down and four face-up. Unlike Texas Hold’em, there are no community cards in Seven-card Stud. The challenge lies in reading your opponents’ cards and trying to work out the potential strength of their hands compared to your own.
Seven-card stud is known for having a cool history and a very distinct gameplay rhythm. Once you understand how the rules differ from traditional poker, many players find this to be a nice switch-up.
High Low Chicago
High Low Chicago, also known as Seven-card Chicago, injects a fresh twist by introducing a split pot between the highest and lowest hands. The game is played similarly to Seven-card Stud, with the added rule that the player with the highest spade face-down receives half the pot, while the player with the lowest spade face-down claims the other half.
Because there is the potential for two different winners to take home the prize money, there’s even more suspense than a normal game of poker, as players strive to craft hands that excel in both high and low categories.
Open-Faced Chinese Poker Aka OFC
Open-Faced Chinese Poker, often abbreviated as OFC, has gained popularity for its unconventional setup and engaging gameplay.
Unlike traditional poker variants, OFC is not played in rounds or with betting. Instead, players receive a total of 13 cards, which they must strategically arrange into three separate hands – two five-card hands and one three-card hand.
The challenge lies in maintaining a balanced distribution of strong hands without breaking the order. The art of OFC lies in hand construction and thinking more strategically, as opposed to mastering different betting tactics.
Five-card draw
Finally, we have Five-Card Draw, another classic variant of poker. In this game, each player is dealt five private cards, and the objective is to achieve the best hand through a series of drawing and betting rounds.
What sets Five-card Draw apart is its straightforward nature – there are no community cards, and players have the opportunity to exchange unwanted cards for new ones if they want to try and improve their hand.
It’s simple enough for any player to get involved – whether you’re a beginner or a professional – so many players will choose to play this as a break from traditional poker games.
The Future of Online Poker Games
As the poker landscape continues to evolve, these alternative games offer players an enticing array of options to break away from the routine of traditional Texas Hold’em.
All of the games we’ve mentioned above, like Omaha Poker, Seven-card Stud, and High Low Chicago, are examples of more traditional games. But, don’t even get us started on the world of modern games that have put a whole new spin on these ancient card games. With the introduction of Bitcoin in gaming and other gaming tech, we now have crypto casinos to choose from, and immersive poker experiences that can make you feel like you’re sat in a real casino – even if you’re just at home.
It’s impressive how poker has been able to captivate and surprise players with its ever-expanding possibilities for so many decades, and we’ll be excited to see how many other alterations of this popular game will pop up in the future.