Whether you’re playing a game of Stud, Razz, High Low, or Texas Hold’em, it’s important to understand the rules of each game so you can play your best. It’s also important to know which game variants you should be playing. These include:

Texas hold’em

During the early 2000’s, Texas hold’em poker became the most popular poker game. This was due in large part to the exposure the game gained on television and the internet. However, it was the publication of The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez that truly brought the game to a wider audience.

In his book, Alvarez chronicled a World Series of Poker tournament from 1981. His work not only introduced the game to a wider audience, but also helped establish a new genre of poker literature.

In addition to being the most widely played poker game, Texas hold’em is also one of the most popular forms of poker tournaments. There are many famous tournaments and events that feature the game. Some of these tournaments include the WSOP Main Event, which features a no-limit Texas Hold’em tournament.

High-low and lowball

Compared to the traditional poker games, High-low and lowball in poker offer a refreshing look at the cards. These games have their own rules and variants that can change the game. Typically, these games are played with one or more blinds. They are also played with a forced bet called the ante.

The high-low split is a popular variant rule in many lowball games. In this game, a high hand wins half of the pot and a low hand splits the other half. This is not determined by player agreement, but by the cards in the deck.

Stud variants

Stud poker is a fairly new addition to the poker scene. It’s a bit of a gamble, especially since the game is played with a 52 card deck. The best place to play is at a casino where the rules of the game are spelled out for the uninitiated. The aforementioned stud spiel is typically played in a fixed limit game, although a few casino operators have been known to tweak the rules to suit their particular brand of poker. It’s not all doom and gloom though, since the rules of the game are relatively fair.

Razz

Generally played with a fixed limit betting structure, Razz is a variant of the traditional game of seven card Stud. It is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. Players use these cards to create a five-card hand. The strength of a hand is measured by the number of cards it has, and the number of pairs it has. If a pair is exposed, a player can either raise or fold, depending on how strong the hand is.

The game is played with eight players, though a smaller number of players may be used. It follows very similar rules to seven card Stud, though some of the criteria for making a hand at the showdown are different. For example, in Razz, a pair is treated as low if it is not one of the four top cards. In addition, a flush is ignored, and straights aren’t counted against the strength of the hand.