Texas Hold’em is the most popular type of poker for a reason. The game is known for its mix of excitement and deep strategy. It’s accessible both in terms of content and game availability. There’s definitely a lot to like.
Still, playing nothing but Texas Hold’em can lead to burnout, especially for those who grind out high volumes online. After a while, it can start to feel more like a routine than entertainment.
If you feel this way, it’s good to take a break and mix it up by exploring other options. Here, we suggest a selection of alternate poker games to try.
Action Packed Omaha
Omaha poker is the second most popular type of poker in the world. It has similar rules to Texas Hold’em, with the same community cards and betting rounds. The key difference is that players are dealt four private hole cards instead of two.
This makes for thousands of additional combinations of possible starting hands in Omaha, along with increased complexity when it comes to hand reading postflop. In fact, there are 16,432 starting hands in Omaha.
With extra cards to play with, it’s more likely that you’ll make a strong hand or monster draw in Omaha. At the same time, there’s also more chance that other players will make strong hands of their own. This makes for an action packed poker variation that has even greater depth when it comes to strategy.
If you’re sick of being card dead and waiting around for hands in Texas Hold’em, Omaha is the game for you.
Video Poker
At the other end of the spectrum in terms of complexity, video poker is a casino table game that is played against the house. After placing your bet, you’re dealt five starting cards and given the option to discard any number of those cards. Discards are replaced by new cards to make your final poker hand.
You won’t have to worry about other player’s hands or when to pull off a big bluff in video poker. Your only decision is which cards to discard and redraw.
Still, video poker involves some math and probability. You’ll need to know the odds of making certain hands and compare that to the payouts to see if it’s worth drawing.
When you play video poker online at major platforms, you’ll be able to choose from several video poker games such as Jacks or Better and Double Bonus. Learning optimal strategy can reduce the house edge to as little as 0.5 to 1%, depending on the game choice.
Video poker is the ideal choice if you’re looking for a break from the intense strategy and competition of Texas Hold’em. It’s slow paced and easy to learn, yet your decisions still have some impact on the results.
Seven Card Stud
Moving on to a classic poker variation, Seven Card Stud has a different format compared to both Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Players are dealt seven individual cards over the course of five betting rounds, some face up and others face down.
The face up cards give players clues about each other’s hand strength and indications of what cards are still left in the deck, adding different elements of strategy and hand reading.
Seven Card Stud has a fixed limit structure, restricting the size of bets made on each street. This makes action a little slower and more progressive, as you’ll often be able to afford to see the next card during the early stages of a hand.
If you’re looking for a completely different test, but you ultimately prefer slower action and drawing to big hands, Seven Card Stud is for you.
Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw is one of the original variations of poker, played long before Texas Hold’em was even invented and coming from a long lineage of similar card games. It’s a relatively simple and undemanding format, yet still has its own unique strategies to master.
In Five Card Draw, players are dealt an initial starting hand of five cards, followed by a betting round. Players can then discard and redraw any number of cards, similar to video poker, to make their final hand. This is followed by a final betting round.
Most of the poker strategy in Five Card Draw is based around drawing and betting. You can also read other player’s hand strengths based on how many cards they discard and the bets they make, which makes bluffing possible.
Again, Five Card Draw is a relaxing break from Texas Hold’em, while still offering a challenge for players who want to learn new games.
Unique Online Poker Variations
Online poker has improved the accessibility of the game. Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, Draw, and video poker are all available around the clock on poker and casino sites. The online poker ecosystem also offers an even greater variety of poker variations, perfect for if you’re bored of the standard tournaments you’re playing.
Examples include fast format games like Spins, which are shorthanded games with a random prize for winning. Another is auto-fold cash games where you are instantly transported to another table and dealt a new hand as soon as you fold.
Fast format games reduce the wait time between hands and increase the action. If you’re not feeling super patient, they are the best games for you when taking a break from your standard Texas Hold’em schedule.
