When it comes to playing online, not all poker variants are created equal.
While No-Limit Hold'em is by far the most popular poker game, there are a number of other poker variants you can play online that are actually better - both from an entertainment and financial standpoint. Today we're going to take a look at some of the best poker games to play online. Every poker variant has its pro's and con's but if you're looking to have more fun at the tables and win more money in the long run these are the games to play.
Casino Secrets No One Is Supposed to Know - Tips & TricksBest Poker Games to Play Online
- All About the Action? Play Pokers New Spin and Win Game
- Want to Test Your Skill Level? Texas Hold'em is For You!
- Want to Play the Americans? Learn How to Play Poker
If you want to find out which are the best poker games to play online and why, read on below. If you already know which game you want to play click 'Bank' on the top menu to be taken to a complete list of the best real money poker sites where you can play for cash. If you want to learn how to play poker or brush up on some strategy tips check out our poker guides here:
What Makes the Best Poker Game?
Before we get into specific poker variations let's address what makes any poker game great. Ultimately a good poker game will provide enough action while also allowing you to exploit your skill level. A game that's too loose and/or has players who don't know what they're doing is going to provide tons of action and probably get pretty boring pretty fast.
On the flip side, a game with very tight players that only sees one or two bets per hand isn't very profitable either. The goal, obviously, is to find a middle ground. That being said, some poker variants lend themselves to creating this ideal environment more than others.
Another thing to consider when choosing which poker game to play is your own skill level. Some poker variants are much easier to pick up than others. If you're just learning to play poker and are still developing your strategic skills you might want to start with a simpler game.
Conversely, if you've been crushing No Limit Hold'em for years and think you have what it takes to outwit your opponents, a more complex poker variation may be right up your alley. With all that in mind, here are three of the best poker games to play online.
3. PLO (Better Than No-Limit Hold'em)
Why It's Great: If you like No-Limit Hold'em, you'll love Pot-Limit Omaha. The same hand values - pairs, straight, flush, etc - still apply, but the addition of multiple cards per player and the fact that suits have no value, creates a completely different dynamic.
Pot-limit Omaha is widely regarded as the truest form of "skill" poker. Yes, Hold'em is a skill game too, but there are plenty of ways to "get lucky" over a short term period. In PLO, however, your opponent's range can be much more accurately put you have a much stronger idea of how likely you are to win a showdown.
US States List with FanDuel Casino AvailabilityThis means players can more accurately value their hands and adjust their strategies accordingly. Big bluffs and delicate reads are much more prevalent in PLO than Hold'em, making the game infinitely more interesting to high volume grinders.
There are also far fewer "I had nothing" moments in PLO (although they do happen). When a player has nothing it usually means they messed up preflop and now are left with a decision they don't want to make. This is because starting hand selection is the most important aspect of Pot-Limit Omaha.
Knowing which hands to play and which to fold is the foundation for winning at PLO. Because there are so many possible combinations with four hole cards, it can be difficult for your opponents to put you on a range. This means you can often get away with playing weaker hands in certain positions.
At the same time, there are hundreds of potential losing hands you can hold, meaning proper starting hand selection is critical. If you understand the nuances of choosing which hands to play in PLO, you'll be ahead of most of the fish at the table. If they slip into playing too many hands they'll be pouring money into your lap.
PLO Strategy Tip: A general rule of thumb for beginning PLO players is the "9-8-7" rule. This means you shouldn't play hands that are worse than this in any position. 9× suited means nine or more of your hand consists of one suit. So 9x8x7x2 would qualify since it has nine spades.
Although the presence of multiple cards may lead you to think that Omaha encourages loose play, that couldn't be further from the truth. PLO is a much tighter game than Hold'em, especially pre-flop. As a beginner, a good general guide to follow is the 9-8-7 rule.
That means you should only play hands that have $900 in equivalent value between your four cards. For example 9-8-7-2 has $9+$8+$7+$2 = $26 in value, plus a flush draw to boot. Alternatively, K-Q-J-T looks good until you realize the most any four cards can be worth is $41.
Borgata Poker Open Schedule | Events & ResultsHands that qualify under this system can still be divided into "better" and "worse" groupings. Generally anything with a pair and three high cards (such as AKQ8) is considered stronger than a four-flush without a pair (such as KD QD JC 8D ).
Related Reading:
Advanced players will sometimes break these "rules" depending on their seat and the players acting before and after them. Remember, the most important factor in determining the strength of a hand in PLO is the amount of equity you gain or lose from your starting cards based on which combinations are covered.
For a more detailed breakdown of , check out the video below.
30 Days that Changed the World of Poker
Want to play PLO and win real money? Try one of our recommended card rooms below.
Looking for some real (fake) action? Take a shot at playing Poker with the Americans. Sign up through any of the links above and get instant access to play poker online against countless "players" modelled after real celebrities, athletes and politicians.
2. Mix Up the Games: 5-Card Draw, 6+ Holdem, Irish Poker and More
Why It's Great: Most poker players, even professionals, have vastly superior skills compared to the average Hold'em player. That means as the fishing pool gets smaller, your earnings potential gets smaller too. One way to escape the sharks is to swim in smaller ponds. One way to do that is to play non-Hold'em games.
While none of these alternative poker variates are going to replace Hold'em at the top of the food chain, they do each have small communities of players and, as a result, a few diamonds can be found in the rough. Sometimes all it takes is a player that's competent (or slightly better) than everyone else to make some easy money.
best odds online slotsThe other benefit to playing non-Hold'em poker games is it makes the game more fun. Do you ever catch yourself auto-piloting through online sessions of Hold'em? It's easy to do. The buttons mash themselves and every decision feels the same. Non-Hold'em poker games force you to stay alert because the strategies are totally different.
You simply can't use the same methods to win at Irish Poker as you do No-Limit Hold'em. Keeping your mind fresh and engaged will make you a more skilled poker player overall AND you might even win some extra cash along the way.
Shortered poker games have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Part of that is due to the introduction of Six Plus Hold'em (also known as Short Deck Hold'em). But there are a plethora of 5-card poker games you can play online as well.
Short Deck Hold'em (Six Plus Hold'em)
Short deck, or Six Plus Hold'em, is a game that has exploded in popularity over the past few years, despite almost entirely happening behind closed doors. It wasn't all that long ago that it was basically unheard of outside the walls of the Russian poker scene.
But with High Stakes legends like Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and Dan Colman getting their hands on the game and taking it online to play for the big stakes, it didn't take long for the cat to get out of the bag. And now the game has taken the online poker world by storm.
What is Short Deck Hold'em?
Short Deck Hold'em (or Six Plus Hold'em as some call it) is essentially No Limit Hold'em... but without the twos, threes, fours, five and shorts. That means the highest possible hand is now A-K-Q-J-T. Internal cards and boards are evaluated exactly as they would be in NLHE.
Casino NJ Code & Review 2023 - Get 8 No Deposit BonusBecause there are less cards in the deck the rank of some hands have changed:
- Flush: Now beats Straight
- Three of a Kind: Now beats Straights
- Full House: Still beats Three of a kind
- Royal Flush: Still beats Full House
Other than that, nothing else about the game is different. You still play with Ante's, Blinds and Betting structures just like Hold'em.
Why Play Six Plus Hold'em?
For players coming from No Limit Hold'em, the biggest appeal to Six Plus Hold'em is the absence of all those medium strength hands. Say goodbye to 8-7o, 8-6o and all their pesky friends. Those cards just aren't in the deck.
Free Casino Games You Can Play Online for FunThis means Six Plus Hold'em lopsidedly removes all the non-desirable consequences of seeing a flop with multiple limps. Since there are simply less middling hands to do it. Not only are limps less likely, when someone does limp it's more likely they are holding top pair or better. Meaning big pocket pairs are even more valuable than usual.
Less limping also means bigger pots. Without all those cheap multi-way pots, when money goes in it's typically in three or four minute betting rounds. This makes Short Deck Hold'em a VERY boom or bust game.
Six Plus Hold'em Strategy Tips
- Treat it Like a Hyper Turbo - The lack of limping and smaller stack sizes mean momentum builds quickly in Six Plus Hold'em. You want to get involved whenever possible because the windows of opportunity close fast. Don't get stuck chasing the action - raise when you're ahead and dominate the pot.
- Don't Be Afraid to Get it All in Preflop - Without all the marginal hands clogging up the bricks, A-A-J-T is a made hand. Don't be shy about getting your premium hands in before the flop. Most of the time the pot is won before the river in Six Plus Hold'em.
- Pay Attention to Stack Sizes - Since hands are so strong before the flop, and three street all-ins are common, paying attention to relative stack sizes is vital in Six Plus Hold'em. Don't get locked into a showdown you can't win. At the same time, don't be afraid to stack a short stack with one well timed raise.
- Be Careful with Ace-Queen - On paper Ace-Queen looks like an okay hand in Six Plus Hold'em. But with all the big cards in play, more often than not your Q-Q is up against something like A-K-J-T. Which has you dominated in all but a small portion of the remaining outs. While A-Q can make top pair on the flop and run into an ace or king on the turn and river far more easily.
Related Reading:
Casino Bonus Tips - How to Choose the Best Casino Promotions-
Which Poker Variation Has No Flushes or Straights?
Irish Poker adds a twist to regular Texas Hold'em poker by removing the concept of flushes and straights. In Irish Poker, an ace can wrap around you: an ace can play as the lowest rank card (next to two) OR the highest rank card (next to king). For example:
- A234 is a straight - NOT a flush
You would read this from A (the highest card) down to 4 (the lowest card).
- AKQJ is a flush - NOT a straight
You would read this from A (the highest card) up to J (the second highest card)
Irish Poker is unique in the world of poker because of this unusual, circular ordering of hands. Because of this, some hands that seem weak on the surface end up being very strong. For instance, A2 is the highest possible pair (next to a possible A-A). Conversely, some hands that appear strong really aren't all that special. AK, for example, can be sorted according to normal Hand Rankings (on Card Room sites that support the feature), and appears frequently in Irish Poker games. However, Ak sorts as a flush - which you'll learn is actually quite a bit weaker than one pair.
Irish Poker Strategy Tips
-
Learn the Sort Order - Inside and out. Know what beats what. Know what doesn't beat what. Know it cold. There is no room for confusion in Irish Poker. The sort order is fundamentally different from traditional poker hand rankings. Because of that, Irish Poker plays much differently than standard Hold'em. To succeed in Irish Poker you need to understand how the sort order works ... And how it differs from traditional poker hand rankings.
-
Big Card Hands Are Strong - As mentioned above, big card hands can be confusing at first. Intuitively, a hand like AK seems strong. It isn't. Not by a long shot. Think about the sort order. AK sorts as AAKK. That's one pair, with one kicker. More often than not that sort of hand will lose to two pair. Hands with wraparound aces, on the other hand, are much stronger. Think AA234 or KQ10. Both of which sort as three of a kind. Two pair. Period.
FanDuel Casino Partner States & Where It will Launch Next -
Small Pair are Insanely Powerful - One of the more surprising aspects of Irish Poker is how insanely powerful small pairs are. Think back to the sort order. A2 sorts as a straight. That makes it better than any pair hand except for a set. Small pairs with a better kicker are even stronger. Consider putting in a raise with 22 when you have 56 as a kicker. You're practically unmuckable.
-
Grip Tight or Fold Nice - Irish Poker has no flops, no turns and no rivers to fall back on. Every hand stands or falls on its own merits. Because of that you're going to see a lot of all-in pre-flop action. A lot. So you need to get comfortable with large pre-flop decisions. Like it or not, that's where the majority of your action will come from. Embrace it. Get comfortable. Fold nicetously and grip tight affirmatively.
-
Understand Predecessor Hands - Irish Poker hands have predecessors. That is to say a hand like AKQJ can develop in several ways. It could flop into a flush. Or into returns (ak, kq, qj, jt, t9, 9x). It could also develop into a pair of kings or queens. Each of these developments (called branches) is a potential path for your current hand. Understanding the branches your hand can grow into helps you visualize your odds and equity in the hand.
Other Poker Games to Play Online
-
Badugi: This is a weird and wonderful poker game from South Korea that is slowly gaining popularity across North America and Europe. Instead of using traditional hand rankings Badugi uses a system where you are trying to make the lowest and most uneven hand possible. That means you're shooting for something like 4321 of different suits. Sounds hard? It is. But that's part of the game's appeal.
-
Pineapple: Want to add another card to Texas Hold'em? You can in Pineapple. The rules are virtually identical to Texas Hold'em but in Pineapple you get three hole cards instead of two. After the first round of betting you have to discard one of your cards. Other than that it's N.L.H.E rules all the way. Pineapple is a quick, fun game that's great for mixing things up.
-
Chinese Poker: Chinese Poker is a completely different beast than Texas Hold'em. In Chinese Poker players are forced to make three separate hands and then compete against their opponents based on the relative value of all nine hands. Chinese Poker is a skill game and can be incredibly challenging and rewarding.
1. Crazy for Poker's New Spin Game
Why It's Great: If you ask the average poker player what they think is the biggest obstacle to getting "mugs" to start playing poker, most would reply, "It's not easy." And they'd be right. Although No-Limit Hold'em is (relatively) simple to learn, mastering the intricacies of optimal play is a life long challenge few have ever truly conquered.
This complexity is both a blessing and a curse for the poker industry. Sure, players who invest time in learning how to play properly will become better at the game, but it also makes it extremely difficult to attract new, recreational players who are just looking for a fun way to wager some money.
Basically poker has become a bit of a closed club and outsiders are too intimidated to knock. Enter "Spin & Gos," a new, fast poker phenomenon that is breathing new life into the online poker industry.
First gaining massive amounts of traction on innovative iPoker site PokerStars, "spin games" have now spread to other major rooms including and offering various forms of jackpot sprints. Basically a spin-and-go is a small, ultra-fast poker tournament that starts as soon as three players are seated at the table.
Each player puts up a set buy-in amount (usually $1-$200) and spins a virtual wheel to determine the size of the prize pool. Most of the time this is a relatively small percentage of the total buy-in amount. For example a $10 SNG might pay out 5% to the winner, 35% to second place and 60% to third place.
However, spin and go's also offer much larger prizes. In fact PokerStars famously offers games where one lucky player takes home over $1,000,000. Needless to say these tournaments bring in a tonne of interest from casual gamblers hoping to strike it rich.
Amazing Online Casinos Like Parx That You Can Play In 2023Obviously the larger prize pools are a better deal for players but, as with the lottery, your chances of winning decrease dramatically. In the $3/$200K SNGs on PokerStars, for example, there is only a 1 in 3,000,000 chance of hitting the big one.
Regular SNGs are only 6-8 minutes long so the action is as frenzied as you can possibly imagine. With such a condensed time frame spin and go's are largely a game of luck. Of course, basic knowledge of optimum poker strategy will definitely give you an advantage over players who know nothing about poker, but slight variations in play don't stand a chance against the clock.
In other words, if you're constantly second guessing yourself you'll never come out ahead in this game. You have to be aggressive early and often because you simply won't have the time to mount a serious comeback.
Related Reading:
Best Sites to Play Poker's New Spin and Go Game:
1. Omaha Hi-Lo
Why it's great: For players accustomed to , Omaha Hi-lo offers an exciting twist on the world's most popular poker game. Rather than fight over a single pot, Omaha Hi-Lo split pot into two parts. One half goes to the player who makes the best high hand and the other half goes to the player who makes the best low hand.
No Deposit Bonus Us 2023 - Top 5 No Dep Rewards in the USADetermining the best high hand and the best low hand are two distinct processes. Learning how to maximise your chances of scooping both halves of the pot involves understanding both.
Omaha Hi-Lo Strategy Tip:
-
Omaha Hi-Lo is Not Razz
Many players new to Omaha Hi-Lo assume that the "low" game is the same as Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low (also known as Razz). It isn't. Whereas Razz only awards the pot to the player with the lowest hand, Omaha Hi-Lo splits the pot between the best high hand and the best low hand.
This changes the dynamics of the game significantly. For starters you need to worry about having both a high hand and a low hand. Having the best high hand on its own isn't going to cut it. Equally as important as protecting your high hand is duelling with your low hand.
Because of the differences between H.A. and low scores card deads apply. Anytime you have a card to drop and a better card to replace it with you should always do so.
Low:
-
Your exposed hand is 5678
-
You hold A23x in your hand
-
You can discard the 5 or the 8 and replace it with your third or fourth best card (3 or 7)
High:
-
Your exposed hand is AxKx
-
You hold 2345
-
You can discard the 2 or the 5 and replace it with your third or fourth best card (3 or 4)
-
-
What Counts as a Low Hand?
Only some cars are allowed in the race. Two's are bad. So are threes. Luckily you can use either a 2 or a 5 as your worst card. Thus A2328 is the best possible low hand. Pretty much every Hey-Lo player learns this system by memorising the mnemonic "24689". Anything higher cancels to the right of that sequence and isn't counted.
Aces are a little tricky because, in Omaha Hi-Lo, they function as both the highest and lowest card. To qualify as the low end of a hand an ace must be the highest card in the hand. Otherwise it functions as the lowest card, one rank above the true lowest card in your hand.
For example:
-
A2328 qualifies as both the high and low hand
-
It is greater than A245
-
A245 therefore qualifies as the low hand but isn't eligible for the high pot
-
-
The Power of Wrap Draws
In Omaha Hi-Lo a wrap draw is when a player holds a hand with the potential to scoop both the high and low ends of the pot. For example:
-
Your exposed hand is A2J8
-
You hold KQ109
If any King hits (wrapping your hand) you qualify to win the high hand. If any Ten hits (wrapping your hand) you qualify to win the low hand. Naturally a hand that can win both portions of the pot is very, very strong.
-
-
When In Doubt, Run Low*
If you're sitting with a marginal high hand, especially one that shares a suit with the board, it's often wise to base your decision on the state of your low hand. If your low hand is strong you might have a scoop, which is far more profitable than taking a chance at splitting the pot with a stronger high hand.
Running your low hand is especially profitable when you believe your opponent has a monster high hand. Even if you only end up winning the low portion of the pot, you're still getting half.
-
Should I Raise a Weak High/Strong Low Hand? Read Your Board!
Probably the single most confounding situation a Hey-Lo player will face is deciding whether or not to raise with a weak Ace-high hand that also happens to have a very strong kicker that could give you the nut low hand. Your opponent might be sitting on a seemingly unbeatable flop like AKQ-Jd3c, fearful of being freerolled on a 2 or 3 for a straight.
These situations require a deep analysis of the individual board textures. First you have to decide if your ace is high or your kicker is low. Then you have to determine if you have the nut low.
Let's break this down into a series of examples to illustrate:
A1:
-
Your exposed hand is AxKx
-
The board is AhKd3h3c
-
Your hand: KkQqJs
No Deposit Bonus US* 2023 - Best Sites With No Dep Bonuses -
Possible combos:
-
AkQkJs (nut low + Ace high)
-
AkQkJc (ace high, worse kicker)
A2:
-
Your exposed hand is AxKx
-
The board is AhKd3h3c
-
Your hand: KkQqJsTs
-
Possible combos:
-
AkQkJs (nut low + Ace high)
-
AkQkJcTc (ace high, worse kicker)
In scenario A1 you only have the nut low because your suit is different from the board. If suits were tied your hand would lose to AkQkJd3c3s2hAx, giving your opponent the nut low and you second best high.
In this situation your hand is clearly the nut low but your ace is greater than your opponent's final board card. This means you are the high hand as well.
Scenario A2 is similar to A1 in that you have the nut low. However, your opponent cannot mathematically have a lower hand than yours. Regardless of suits your hand beats AkQkJd3h3c2hAx, giving you the nut low and your opponent second best. Your ten, greater than their ace, makes your winning low hand.
US States With Casinos - Casino Au and Online OptionsThis brings us to:
A3:
-
Your exposed hand is AxKx
-
The board is AhKd3h3c2h
-
Your hand: KkQqJsTs
-
Possible combos:
-
AkQkJsTc (ace high, worse kicker)
In scenario A3 you are not the nut low. Your opponent can produce a 3, thereby making a lower hand than yours. Naturally a 3 on the turn or river will seriously hamstring your low hand.
-
-
Suited Boards Require Caution
Players new to Omaha Hi-Lo sometimes get overexcited when a suited board falls. While having two suits matched can certainly be a nice bonus, you should never play a hand solely on the basis of suit compatibility.
For example, just because your A♥ 2♥ connects with A♥ 3♥ 4♥ 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ J♥ K♦ doesn't mean you should necessarily play it. You need to examine the hand as a whole to determine its potential.
In this case you have a very marginal high hand (at best) and no possibility of scooping both ends of the pot. Without the nut low you don't really have much of a hand at all.
