Types of Online Poker

We will explore three types of online poker you will commonly come across when playing in any online poker site, which are Texas Holdem, Omaha, and Seven-card stud.

 

1. Texas Holdem Poker

Texas Holdem is, without a doubt, everybody’s favorite form of online poker. On top of being the most played online poker, it is also the most featured version played at every online poker site. During cash games and tournaments, Texas Holdem poker automatically becomes the best poker game of choice. Poker players enjoy playing Texas Holdem because of its easy gameplay.

Texas Holdem uses forced bet called blinds. A forced bet is a compulsory wager in the first betting round of any poker variants that every player must place before a poker round commences, and the cards are dealt.

[How it works]

At the beginning of Texas Holdem poker, all players will be dealt two cards face down. These cards are called Hole cards. Then, a round of betting called the pre-flop will come about. This is where players can Check, Bet, or Fold.

To check means a player wishes to pass the action to another player but keeps his card. To bet means you’re the first person to place money into the pot. Then, other players will have to decide whether to raise or call your bet. Lastly, to fold means to drop out of a hand.

Three shared cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table when the betting finishes. This process is called the Flop. Afterward, another round of betting will take place, where a fourth card (known as Turn) is dealt.

During the Turn, a round of betting takes place, followed by a final card (known as River) being dealt and a final round of betting.

To win Texas Holdem poker, you must have the best hand. You build your best five-card poker hand by using your Hole cards and any five cards in the middle of the table.

There are two ways a Texas Holdem poker can end:

1) Through a Showdown – When the players in a hand turn over their Hole cards and the player with the best hand win.

2) A player bets enough that every other player chooses to fold.

[Pros and cons]

Pros:

Because it is so easy to learn, Texas Holdem has become a common online poker that most players would opt for and play at any online poker site available in all online casinos in Malaysia.

Cons:

Texas Holdem is an action-packed online poker game. As a result, some players will not prefer this type of poker game because they think it is too volatile.

[How to Win]

i) Position is key

Your most optimum position in Holdem poker is the Button because you are the last player to act after the Flop, Turn, and River. When it’s your turn, you have a bird’s eye view of how many other players are still in the hand, which helps you make a better decision on how much to bet, if any.

ii) Play wise on Turn and River

If you are holding a draw after the Turn (for instance, you need one more card, typically a straight or a flush to make a good hand), you need to try to get to the River as cheaply as you can. If you are certain that you have the best hand after the Turn, make it expensive for your opponents to see the River. That aside, if the Community cards include a pair, keep in mind that you might be going against a Full House. Lastly, if the board reveals three cards of the same suit, you must watch out for any opponent that might be holding a flush.

Your decision to check, bet, fold, or call can only be made based on the value of your cards after the River because you no longer have the capacity to better your cards. Therefore, if you think your opponent has a better hand, don’t bluff. To bluff is to get a player with better cards to lay their hand down.

iii) Know your opponents

Make mental notes on factors such as:

a) Range of hands players play in each position,

b) When players bet,

c) Size of their raises/re-raises,

d) Types of cards other players have, or

e) How often they bluff.

Paying attention to these details can help you identify a player’s trend. In return, it will help you make a wiser decision when placed in a difficult position against an opponent.

 

2. Omaha Poker (alternatively known as Pot Limit Omaha)

Omaha comes second being the most adored online poker, and there are other online poker variations, namely Omaha High poker and Omaha Hi-Lo poker. Omaha is a high-stakes poker game.

There are some similarities between Omaha and Texas Holdem poker types, such as sharing the same poker game structure (upon receiving the cards, players go through the process of betting, seeing the flop, betting again, and having a showdown) and form (the combining of Hole cards with Community cards to have the best five-card poker hand).

[How it works]

In Omaha, five Community cards will be dealt face up. Each player will receive four Hole cards that only they can see. Then, each player must use their Hole cards, plus three of the Community cards to make up their hand.

There are four rounds of betting in Omaha, and the betting commences from the player seated next to the dealer button (known as Small Blind) and continues clockwise around the poker table. A blind is crucial in a poker game because it ensures that there is money in the pot at the beginning of the game. The player sitting next to Small Blind is known as a Big Blind.

The player to the left of a Big Blind will set the first round of betting in motion. This player can choose to either:

1) Call – equal the amount placed in the Big Blind,

2) Raise – increase his bet, or

3) Fold – let go of his cards plus stakes.

When the betting goes back to the player who made the initial full bet (Big Blind), that player can either check or stay in the game without adding any money into the pot. But, if an opponent chooses to raise, the Big Blind can choose to raise, re-raise, or fold.

During the Flop, three Community cards will be dealt face-up on the table. Players can use these cards to assemble their five-card hand. Then, the second round of betting takes place. A fourth Community card is dealt face-up during the Turn. A third betting round follows.

The final round of betting, known as River, is where the fifth and final Community card is dealt. If there is more than one player left in the game, a Showdown will come about. All players will reveal their cards during a Showdown. The player with the highest hand wins. The pot will be split equally instead if two players end up with a tie.

[Pros and cons]

Pros:

Omaha contains a lot of bluffing, a type of bet or raise made with a hand that is considered to be the weaker one. The purpose of a bluff is to prompt a fold by at least one opponent who holds a better hand.

Cons:

Omaha is not a beginner-friendly poker variant. It is also very difficult to calculate how much a player can bet and raise.

[How to win]

i) Don’t play small pairs

If you are dealt with a small pair, there is a big possibility that your hand will fail at the Flop. Similarly, if you manage to draw a set, you will likely get beaten by a higher value hand. Small pairs are difficult to work around in Omaha.

ii) Use bluff sparingly

Bluff might do you good if you’re playing Texas Holdem, but, not Omaha though. Even when you try and call their bluff, players will play to the strength of their hand.

When you bluff, you could be revealing yourself as a weak player, and this gives an advantage to your opponents.

iii) Fold, bet or raise

If your odds are high, choose to fold, bet, or raise. No matter the circumstance, you should avoid calling unless your strategy is to trap an opponent or increase your pot odds when you are on a big draw.

 

3. Seven-card Stud Poker

An online Seven-card Stud poker is what you should opt for if you prefer a slower online poker with betting limits.

[How it works]

Before Seven-card Stud begins, all players must post an ante – a mandatory bet that every player must place in the pot. In Seven-card stud, no Community cards will be dealt. Instead, Seven-card Stud starts clockwise until each player has two Hole cards (dealt face down) and one Door card (dealt face up).

There are seven rounds of betting in Seven-card Stud. Whichever player who has the lowest-ranking card showing will start the game with a token bet (known as bring-in, a forced bet made on the first round of betting). If there is more than one player with matching lowest card showing, the bring-in will be determined by suit in alphabetical order. Example: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.

Once a bring-in bet is made, each player can either fold, call, or raise the betting limit. During Fourth Street, a card is dealt face-up, and a player gets to make a double bet if he/she gets an open pair.

The procedure is similar for Fifth Street and Sixth Street, where a card is dealt face-up, and the player with the highest combination of up cards can commence betting. During Seventh Street, all players will be dealt their final card (face down). During Showdown, best hand player wins.

[Pros and cons]

Pros:

Seven-card Stud poker teaches players how to keep track of cards that have been folded. This can give players a huge edge over players that don’t pay attention to minute details as such.

Cons:

Seven-card Stud is often considered a very slow and boring poker variant. It is also not as action-packed as other online poker types like Holdem or Omaha.

[How to win]

i) Have one or more high cards

Having one or more high cards add value to your hand. It allows you to catch another card of the same rank, which might help you win.

ii) Deciding when to fold

If you have no strong hand in the first few rounds of betting, you should fold unless other opponents have stayed the game. You should only bet against a single or two remaining players if you’re already holding a high pair or better.