Texas Hold'em [Flop game] The world of poker is currently in love with this game. It is mostly referred to by the shorter name of Hold'em.

Blind Antes are posted by the two players to the left of the dealer (also called the button in house dealt games) before the deal. Each player is dealt Two Cards each as their hand and then there is a round of betting. The dealer proceeds with dealing the flop, three cards face up in the centre of the table which all players can use to combine with their cards to make a poker hand . There is another round of betting. A fourth flop card is dealt (often called fourth street or the turn) and more betting. Finally a fifth flop card comes (often called fifth street or the river) and the last round of betting. A player's best hand is made by choosing 5 cards from the 7 card combination of their hand and the flop.

Methods of playing this game well, depend on the betting system being used. Either Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit is used for tournaments and even cash games.

Seven Card Stud [Stud game] A popular home game choice that is still popular in the casinos and clubs. More popular in the USA than in the UK.

Antes are posted by all players before the deal. The dealer deals two down cards and one face up card to each player and there is a round of betting. Three more up cards are dealt one at a time with rounds of betting and finally the seventh card is dealt face down. There is a final round of betting. All betting rounds are started by the highest hand showing.

This is generally a Limit game throughout the world but in the UK it is played as Pot Limit.

Omaha [Flop game] This is a Jazzy version of Hold'em that gives more wild action to those who want it.

The deal is four cards each before the flop. Then after the initial round of betting the deal proceeds exactly as with Hold'em. The difference comes when making a hand from the combination of players' cards and the flop. Unlike Hold'em, each player must use exactly two cards from their hand and three cards from the flop.

This game is technically more advanced than Hold'em as the possible hand combinations are many and the calculations difficult. It is played generally as Limit in the USA and Pot Limit in the UK.

Irish [Flop game] This is another spin-off from Hold'em. In the USA it is known as Pineapple.

Before the flop each player receives three cards and then there is a round of betting. The flop is then dealt as for Hold'em. The difference with this game is all players must now discard one card and then continue playing the hand as if it were ordinary Hold'em.

This game can be more difficult than Hold'em as the correct strategy isn't nearly so well studied as that for Hold'em. It is played generally as all Limits in the USA and Pot Limit in the UK.

London Lowball [Stud game] A variation of 7-Card Stud where the worst hand wins. Known as Razz in the USA.

This game is dealt and bet entirely as 7-card stud, the exception being that the worst hand showing is the one to begin betting in each round.

This is largely a game of bluff. The best hand is Six High, 6-4-3-2-A. The Ace counts as low for this game. [5-4-3-2-A is a straight] Razz, the US game, uses A-2-3-4-5 as the nut low, i.e. flushes and straights do not count against the hand.

Hi-Lo Split [Stud game] This is a game that combines two different games into one and has two separate pots that are played for by all players.

The game is dealt and bet exactly as 7-card stud. Players are attempting to make either a high hand, as in 7-card stud, or a low hand, as with Lowball. Sometimes it is possible to make both. After the betting has finished, the pot is split into two parts. One part is awarded to the best high hand and the other is given to the best low hand.

This is a complex game where values taken from other games will be of no use. In the USA this is played a lot now and for both Limit and Pot Limit. Its just Pot Limit in the UK. Most of the time this game is played with 'qualifiers', that means that the low hand must be at least as good as an 8 Low. Hence this game is often referred to as Hi-Lo Split [8 or better].

Hi-Lo Omaha [Flop game] This game carries the principle of Hi-Lo Split to the flop format.

Four cards are dealt in the initial deal just as in ordinary Omaha. All procedures continue as if the game was Omaha. At the showdown the pot will be divided equally for the high hand and the low hand.

Most of the time this game is played with limits, most often 8-or-better. It is often referred to as Hi-Lo Omaha [8 or better] which means the Lo hand must not be higher than 8-high. Its mostly Limit in the USA and Pot Limit in the UK.

Duece to Seven Draw [Draw game] This game carries the principle of Lowball to the draw format and is played in the WSOP as a championship event.

Five cards are dealt in the initial deal just as in ordinary Draw. A round of betting is followed by players exchanging as many cards as they wish for new from the deck. Another round of betting and then the showdown.

This game is a mixture of bluff and sense. The Ace counts high and straights and flushes count against your hand. So the nut low is 2-3-4-5-7. There are variations of this game, the main being Ace-Five. In A-5 the nut low is A-2-3-4-5 and flushes and straights don't count against you.

Draw [Draw game] This game is second oldest to 5-card stud in poker. It is rarely played in its true forrm known as Jacks-or-better.

Five cards are dealt in the initial deal. To open the betting a player must have at least a pair of Jacks. A round of betting is followed by players exchanging as many cards as they wish for new from the deck. Another round of betting and then the showdown.

This game is not liked any more by any significant number of people. Variations on a wild theme are however still played in many home games. This game can also be played for a low hand. This is played as Ace to Five Lowball Draw in the World Series. The nut hand is a wheel, or A-2-3-4-5.

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