The main types of poker
Poker is not just one game. It is a family of card games built around hand strength, betting, incomplete information, and decision making.
For beginners, the easiest way to understand the types of poker is to group them by how the cards are dealt:
| Category | Popular games | Basic idea | Beginner-friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community card poker | Texas Hold'em, Omaha | Players use private cards plus shared board cards | Very high |
| Stud poker | Seven Card Stud, Razz | Some cards are dealt face up to each player | Medium |
| Draw poker | Five Card Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw | Players exchange cards to improve their hand | Good for learning hand strength |
| Mixed games | H.O.R.S.E., 8-Game | Several poker variants rotate in one format | Advanced |
If you are new to poker, start with Texas Hold'em. It is the most popular poker variant in the world, has the most learning resources, and is the main format used in many online and live games.
What is poker?
Poker is a group of card games where players compete for the pot by making strong hands, betting, calling, raising, bluffing, and folding.
Most poker variants share these ideas:
- Hands are compared using poker hand rankings.
- Players can bet, call, raise, or fold.
- You do not know all of your opponents' cards.
- Strategy includes probability, position, bet sizing, reading ranges, and bankroll management.
The details change by variant. Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, and Five Card Draw all feel different because cards are dealt in different ways and because the betting structure may change.
Quick list of popular poker variants
| Game | Category | Short explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Hold'em | Community card | Each player gets 2 hole cards and uses 5 community cards |
| Omaha | Community card | Each player gets 4 hole cards and must use exactly 2 |
| Omaha Hi-Lo | Community card | The pot can be split between the best high hand and best qualifying low hand |
| Short Deck Hold'em | Community card | Hold'em-style poker played with a 36-card deck |
| Seven Card Stud | Stud | No community cards; some cards are dealt face up |
| Razz | Stud | A lowball stud game where the lowest hand wins |
| Five Card Draw | Draw | Players receive 5 cards and can exchange cards once |
| 2-7 Triple Draw | Draw | A lowball draw game with three drawing rounds |
| H.O.R.S.E. | Mixed game | A rotation of Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, and Stud Eight-or-Better |
Community card poker
Community card poker uses shared cards in the middle of the table. Each player combines their private hole cards with the community cards to make the best possible hand.
This is the most common category today.
Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker game in the world.
Each player receives 2 private hole cards. Then 5 community cards are dealt in stages:
- Preflop: players receive 2 hole cards and the first betting round begins.
- Flop: 3 community cards are dealt.
- Turn: 1 more community card is dealt.
- River: the final community card is dealt.
- Showdown: remaining players compare their best 5-card hands.
In Texas Hold'em, you make the best 5-card hand from 7 cards total: your 2 hole cards plus the 5 community cards.
Texas Hold'em is easy to learn but difficult to master. As you improve, you start thinking about position, ranges, bet sizing, pot odds, blockers, and opponent tendencies.
For a beginner path, read Texas Hold'em Rules for Beginners, then What Is NLH in Poker?.
Omaha
Omaha is also a community card game and looks similar to Texas Hold'em, but there is one major difference:
Each player receives 4 hole cards, and must use exactly 2 hole cards plus exactly 3 community cards to make a hand.
This "exactly 2 and exactly 3" rule is the key to Omaha.
Example:
- Your hand: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠
- Board: 10♠ 9♠ 2♦ 5♣ 7♥
You cannot use all four spades from your hand. You must use exactly two hole cards and exactly three board cards.
Omaha creates more strong hands than Texas Hold'em because players start with more card combinations. It is often played as Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO), where bet sizes are capped by the current pot.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo is an Omaha variant where the pot can be split between:
- The best high hand
- The best qualifying low hand
A common low-hand rule is "8 or better," meaning the low hand must contain five different ranks of 8 or lower.
Omaha Hi-Lo rewards hands that can win both sides of the pot. This is called scooping.
Short Deck Hold'em
Short Deck Hold'em is a Hold'em-style game played with a 36-card deck. Cards 2 through 5 are removed.
Because the deck is smaller, strong hands appear more often. Some games also use different hand rankings, such as flush beating full house.
Always check the local rules before playing Short Deck.
Stud poker
Stud poker does not use community cards.
Instead, each player receives their own cards, and some of those cards are dealt face up. Because opponents' upcards are visible, memory and card removal matter more than in many community card games.
Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud was one of the most popular poker games before Texas Hold'em became dominant.
Each player can receive up to 7 cards. Some are face down, and some are face up. At showdown, each player makes the best 5-card hand.
Unlike Texas Hold'em:
- There are no community cards.
- There are no blinds in the same Hold'em structure.
- Visible upcards give important information.
Players pay attention to which cards are already visible, because those cards are no longer available to complete their own hands.
Razz
Razz is a lowball stud game. Instead of trying to make the highest hand, players try to make the lowest hand.
In common Razz rules:
- Aces are low.
- Straights and flushes do not count against you.
- The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5.
Razz can feel strange if you are used to normal high-hand poker, but it is an important part of mixed games.
Draw poker
Draw poker means players receive private cards and can exchange some of them for new cards.
The word "draw" has two meanings in poker:
- In draw poker, drawing means replacing cards.
- In Texas Hold'em, a draw often means you are one card away from a straight or flush.
Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw is one of the classic poker variants.
Each player receives 5 private cards. After a betting round, players may discard and replace some cards, then another betting round happens.
There are no community cards and no visible upcards. The main information comes from:
- How many cards your opponent draws
- How they bet before and after the draw
Five Card Draw is simple and useful for learning basic hand rankings, but modern poker strategy is more often built around Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
2-7 Triple Draw
2-7 Triple Draw is a lowball draw game where players try to make the weakest possible hand under 2-7 rules.
In this game:
- Aces are high.
- Straights are bad.
- Flushes are bad.
- The best possible hand is 2-3-4-5-7, not all the same suit.
Players have three chances to draw new cards, which creates a lot of strategic information.
Mixed games
Mixed games rotate between multiple poker variants.
They test a player's overall poker skill, not just one format.
H.O.R.S.E.
H.O.R.S.E. is one of the best-known mixed games. The name comes from:
| Letter | Game |
|---|---|
| H | Hold'em |
| O | Omaha Hi-Lo |
| R | Razz |
| S | Seven Card Stud |
| E | Seven Card Stud Eight-or-Better |
Mixed games are usually not the best starting point for beginners. They become more interesting after you understand basic hand rankings, betting, and at least one main poker variant.
Betting structures: no-limit, pot-limit, fixed-limit
Poker variants are also shaped by betting structure.
| Structure | Meaning | Common games |
|---|---|---|
| No-limit | You can bet any amount up to your stack | Texas Hold'em |
| Pot-limit | You can bet up to the current pot size | Omaha |
| Fixed-limit | Bet sizes are fixed | Stud, Draw, Limit Hold'em |
The same game can play very differently depending on the betting structure.
For example, No-Limit Texas Hold'em allows all-in bets at any time, which creates major pressure and makes stack size very important.
Which type of poker should beginners learn first?
Most beginners should start with Texas Hold'em, especially No-Limit Texas Hold'em.
Reasons:
- The rules are simple enough to learn quickly.
- It is the most widely played poker variant.
- There are many beginner guides, videos, tools, and practice apps.
- Core concepts like position, ranges, pot odds, and hand reading transfer to other poker games.
- It is easy to practice online.
After Texas Hold'em, Omaha is a natural next step. Five Card Draw is useful for understanding basic hand rankings. Stud and mixed games are better after you already feel comfortable with poker fundamentals.
FAQ
What is the most popular type of poker?
Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker variant today. No-Limit Texas Hold'em is especially common in online games, live cash games, and tournaments.
Is Texas Hold'em the same as poker?
No. Poker is a family of card games. Texas Hold'em is one type of poker.
What is the difference between Texas Hold'em and Omaha?
In Texas Hold'em, each player gets 2 hole cards. In Omaha, each player gets 4 hole cards and must use exactly 2 of them with exactly 3 community cards.
What is Stud poker?
Stud poker is a type of poker with no community cards. Each player receives their own cards, and some cards are dealt face up.
What is Draw poker?
Draw poker is a type of poker where players can exchange cards from their hand. Five Card Draw is the classic example.
Summary
The main types of poker are:
| Type | Examples | Key idea |
|---|---|---|
| Community card | Texas Hold'em, Omaha | Use shared board cards |
| Stud | Seven Card Stud, Razz | Some personal cards are face up |
| Draw | Five Card Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw | Exchange cards to improve |
| Mixed games | H.O.R.S.E. | Rotate between several poker variants |
For most beginners, the best first game is Texas Hold'em. Once you understand Hold'em, other poker variants become much easier to learn.