The Spice of Life
Poker is a game that needs no introduction, and it certainly does not need any more added value or spice to make it interesting. For those who are craving a bit of variety, the spice of life as they say, poker has hundreds of different variants, each one more fun than the last, and gauging from family friendly, to downright raunchy.
The fact that poker is such a versatile game with so many different ways to play it has kept it in popularity over hundreds of years. That is because there is a variation to fit every situation. Need a fun game for the kids to play while they wait for dinner? There is a poker variant for that. Need to entertain some guests for a housewarming party? There is a poker variant for that too!
Some of Our Favorite
It isn’t easy to choose your favorite poker game. That is why we put this piece together with the utmost respect for the game and patience. Here are some of the best known and unknown poker variants:
Draw Poker – This is a classic variant of poker where you draw your entire hand and keep it hidden during the entire game. You can also usually improve your hand by swapping out cards, and none can see the swapped cards either. The most common draw poker is 5 card.
Stud Poker – In this variant you receive some of your cards face up, and others face down as the game proceeds. That means that everyone at the table will get to see a part of your hand, but another part remains hidden and only known to you. The most common played of stud poker is card, and 5 card. There is even online poker in India that plays this variation commonly.
Lowball – A fun and quirky variant, in this game you actually win when you lose. Meaning that the lowest valued hand is actually the winning one. There are varying rules as to whether aces are low or high, but this is a funny and low pressure poker that is a lot of fun to play.
High-low Split – In this one the highest and lowest hands from every round split the pot. This usually makes for a longer lasting poker game, and tends to round things out and make it more fun and less competitive. This is a great way to play the game at family gatherings and social events.
The Twist – This is an interesting variation where players are allowed to buy another card in a round if they would like to. Even more interesting, if a player still does not like the card they received, they can buy another card by putting more money in the pot. This can make for some quick, but very entertaining and swingy games. Not great for competition, but will definitely get some laughs and lots of good memories.
Still not satisfied? Check out a more complete list of other great poker variants we might have missed here.
