(Newswire.net — March 10, 2016) — Mention poker to most people these days and they will more than likely assume you mean Texas Hold ’em – a game where each player is dealt two cards face down and there are five community cards from which you must make the best hand. There is a whole world of poker beyond Texas Hold’Em though; it wasn’t the original form of the game and today there is a number of other variants of the game that are rapidly gaining popularity.
Texas Hold ’em was likely invented in Texas sometime around 1900, but it really only spread beyond the state’s borders in the 1960s, when a gang of road gamblers from Texas including Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, Johnny Moss, and Jack Strauss brought the game to Nevada and did much to popularize it a time when the main poker games were five-card-stud and draw. It wasn’t until the advent of televised poker and lipstick cameras in the ‘80s and ‘90s that it started becoming a global phenomenon.
It was the airing of the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event that launched Texas Hold ‘em into the mainstream, with Chris Moneymaker’s unexpected win. The American Gaming Association estimated that in the year following the 2003 WSOP there was a 50% increase of poker players.
After watching what was dubbed the “bluff seen around the world,” it seemed as if everyone was jumping on the poker-playing bandwagon. In fact, poker has become so popular that it is hard to find a best-gift list for men that doesn’t include some sort of poker-themed item.
The popularity of Hold’Em today is not surprising, as it’s a very simple game to grasp, but fiendishly difficult to master. Iconic Poker Hall of Fame inductee Brunson Doyle would reveal many of his strategies or “secrets” for Texas Hold’Em in his book Super/System and its follow up Super System 2, but he also invited his fellow experts to write sections on other games such as Omaha 8 or Better, Seven Card Stud High-Low Eight or Better and Triple Draw Lowball.
There are dozens of poker variants, and at least another 11 types of mixed poker games. You can find most of them both in land-based and online casinos. If you feel like trying different versions out at home, casino websites offer as many as 17 different variants of poker, including mixed games. Brunson Doyle recognized the importance of mastering a number of games rather than a specific variant of poker. That is ample proof that poker variants are worth at least a try.
Why Learn Different Poker Games?
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) recently released its schedule for 2016 and although Texas Hold’Em is the game for the Main Event that will crown a world champion, there are many more bracelet events for the other disciplines. One of the most prestigious bracelet events, the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship, is a mixed game featuring 8 variants of poker and is seen as the ultimate test of all-round poker prowess.
If your dream is to win a WSOP gold bracelet you have a much better chance in one of the less popular forms of the game simply because the fields are a lot smaller. It also allows you to play in more tournaments, again increasing your chances of landing that fabled piece of jewelry. Indeed, of Brunson’s ten bracelets, six of them are in games other than Hold ’Em.
There are many other reasons to learn how to play different poker games beyond the dream of WSOP glory, and one of the most important is that they are fun to learn and play. You might already be a seasoned Texas Hold ‘em player. But do you remember when you were first learning how to play Hold ’em? That sheer joy and excitement each time two fresh hole cards were dealt to you and a new hand began? The thirst for knowledge, the hours spent searching for and learning everything from starting hand requirements to pot odds and counting outs? Devouring every poker book you could get your hands on? Learning how to master a new poker game give you a taste of that thrill again but you are already starting from a solid base of knowing the importance of key concepts such as pot odds and position.
The fact is most semi-serious poker players will know how to play a number of games and the vast majority of professionals will play a wide number to a high level. As more people become proficient at Hold ’em, the games at mid and high-stakes are more difficult to beat. Thus, a smart player will seek out a strategy to increase his or her earnings. That often is looking into poker games other than Hold ’em, or even mixed games.
What Games Should I Start With?
The second most popular poker game is undoubtedly Pot Limit Omaha (PLO). This is similar to Texas Hold ’em but each player is dealt four cards. There is the same number of betting rounds but the winning hand must consist of exactly two cards from the player’s hand and three community cards. Because there are more possible hands to make, this is a great action game and it is likely that your local casino offers PLO so this is an essential game tolearn. If that doesn’t sound like it is enough action for you, five-card Omaha has recently been gaining popularity online.
Another fun game that you should consider adding to your repertoire is Seven-card Stud. Before the boom in popularity of Hold ’em, Stud was the predominant casino variant in land-based casinos. Each round starts with players being dealt two cards face down and one face up, there are no community cards in Stud.
The player with the lowest card showing pays the “bring in” which acts as an opening bet and play proceeds clockwise. On subsequent rounds the player with the best poker hand showing is first to act and if the action gets to showdown the winner is the player who can make the best five-card poker hand from the seven cards they have been dealt, with the final card face down.
While the game is played pretty straight forward, it’s information and a well-trained memory that will be your best weapons in this game. Watching and remembering everyone’s up cards while recognizing betting patterns are going to guide you to making the best decision.
One you have added a few new games to your poker armory, the next step is to play in a mixed game where the type of poker game is rotated. The most common type of mixed game you will encounter is H.O.R.S.E. This consists of Texas Hold ’em, Omaha hi-low split-eight or better, Razz, Seven card Stud, and Seven card stud hi-low split-Eight or better.
Most online poker sites these days offer variants of poker so you can practice in the comfort of your own home. Unlike the early days of Texas Hold’Em and road gamblers you can find a wealth of information on strategy and affordable stakes to play so you can enjoy learning the game without taking a painful hit to your bankroll.
Ante Up!
Texas Hold’Em is unlikely to relinquish the crown of the king of poker games any time soon, but there are other forms of the game undoubtedly gaining in popularity. A smart poker player is advised to keep ahead of the curve if they want to maintain a winning streak.
Learning new games has the added benefit of keeping you thinking strategically about poker as a whole which will benefit your Texas Hold’Em game as well as keeping your enthusiasm for the game alive.
Serious players will be missing out on a lot of action and money if they do not become proficient in at least the more popular variants of the game while casual players are missing out on a ton of fun and access to a range of soft games that could keep their love of poker burning.