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Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game in the world, but it’s far from the only one. In fact, poker exists in many formats, each with unique rules, pace, and strategy. Exploring variants keeps the game fresh and challenges you to think differently.
Trying new versions of poker helps you grow as a player. You learn to adapt, think creatively, and handle new betting structures. Many professional players switch between formats regularly to sharpen their skills and break out of predictable patterns.
Whether you want to deepen your knowledge, expand your edge, or just have fun with something new, poker variants offer a new layer of excitement and variety in your poker experience.
Omaha is the second most popular poker variant after Texas Hold’em. The basic structure is similar: community cards, betting rounds, and hand rankings. However, in Omaha, each player receives four hole cards instead of two, and must use exactly two of them, combined with three community cards, to make a hand.
This small difference creates huge strategic shifts. With more possible combinations, hands run much closer together. That means bigger draws, stronger final hands, and more action-packed pots.
Omaha requires careful hand selection and stronger post-flop skills. Players quickly learn that not every four-card hand is worth playing, and that being able to calculate odds and redraws is essential.
The most common version is Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO), which limits maximum bets to the size of the pot, striking a balance between no-limit aggression and fixed-limit control.
Before Texas Hold’em took over, Seven-Card Stud was the most popular poker game in America. Unlike Hold’em or Omaha, there are no community cards in Stud. Each player receives a combination of face-up and face-down cards and must build the best five-card hand from their seven total.
Stud demands memory and attention. You need to track which cards are visible on the table, remember which ones have been folded, and adjust your strategy based on what’s likely left in the deck.
The betting structure is usually fixed-limit, which reduces bluffing and emphasizes hand strength and calculation. Stud is less common online today, but it’s still respected for its depth and tradition.
Learning Stud sharpens your reading ability and develops discipline, as you often have to fold strong-looking hands when the math doesn’t add up.
Razz is a fascinating twist on traditional poker — instead of trying to make the best high hand, your goal is to make the lowest possible hand. Like Stud, players receive seven cards (some face-up, some face-down), but straights and flushes don’t count against you, and aces are always low.
The best possible hand in Razz is A-2-3-4-5, also known as the “wheel.” You’ll often win pots with weak-looking hands that would be garbage in Hold’em.
Razz teaches humility and control. You’ll fold hands that include kings and queens early, even if they’d be strong in other games. It also emphasizes tracking visible cards and evaluating your opponent’s draw quality — essential skills in any poker format.
This variant can be frustrating at first, but it’s one of the best for teaching patience, observation, and hand reading.
Mixed games are designed for well-rounded players. These formats rotate between multiple poker variants within the same session or tournament, forcing players to constantly adapt.
The most well-known mixed format is HORSE, which includes:
Hold’em
Omaha Hi-Lo
Razz
Seven-Card Stud
Eight-or-better Stud Hi-Lo
Other formats like 8-Game and Dealer’s Choice rotate through even more games, sometimes including triple draw or badugi.
In mixed games, players can’t rely on one specialty. Instead, they must adjust quickly, play tight in some rounds and aggressive in others, and know how each game operates. Mistakes in one round can cost you big by the time you return to your comfort zone.
These games reward balanced knowledge and mental endurance, and they’re especially popular among high-stakes players.
Short Deck, also called 6+ Hold’em, is a newer variant that’s grown quickly in popularity, especially in Asia and high-stakes circles. The main difference? The deck has only 36 cards — all the twos through fives are removed.
With fewer cards, the math changes dramatically. Flushes become harder to hit, and so they beat full houses. You’ll see more big hands and frequent all-ins, especially pre-flop.
While the structure is similar to Hold’em, the adjusted odds and hand rankings force players to relearn hand value. A common trap for beginners is overvaluing traditional strong hands like pocket tens, which behave differently in this fast-paced format.
Short Deck is high action, high variance, and incredibly fun. It’s perfect for players who like faster games and aren’t afraid of big swings.
Learning multiple poker variants gives you a major advantage, especially in today’s competitive environment. While most players only focus on Texas Hold’em, those who understand Stud, Omaha, or mixed games stand out. You’ll find softer competition, better value, and less predictable opponents.
Variants also train your brain to think differently. Some games reward tight play, others demand aggression. Some are about memory, others about hand reading or patience. By exposing yourself to different poker situations, you become more complete, creative, and versatile as a player.
And sometimes, it’s just about fun. Variants let you break the monotony, shake up your habits, and discover new aspects of a game you already love.
