About poker card games
There is a big selection of poker card games to choose from. That is, hands down, the best thing about poker variations. If you don’t like one poker game, you’ll surely find another one that resonates with you and meets your gambling preferences.
Any poker card game falls into one of the following categories:
- Stud poker games. In these poker variations, players must form a winning hand using the cards that have been originally dealt to them. Most of the time, each player gets five or seven cards.
- Draw poker games. In these poker card games, players are allowed to swap some of their cards (usually it’s one to three cards) for new ones from the deck.
- Community card poker games. In these games, there is a distinction between the so-called “hole cards” and “community cards”. Hole cards are the ones dealt to each player, while community cards are shared by all players. When trying to form the best hand, players are allowed to use both their own cards and community cards.
We’ve put together a list of poker card games that you can play at Australian online casinos:
- Texas Hold’em;
- Omaha Hi;
- Omaha Hi-Lo;
- 5-Card Draw;
- 7-Card Stud;
- Hi-Lo Chicago;
- Follow the Queen;
- and others.
Key poker terms
Before we dive into the intricacies of playing poker card games, we’re going to introduce you to some of the fundamental poker terms. Knowing this glossary will help you navigate through the poker card game and give a major boost to your confidence.
- Ante is the minimum bet that you must make in order to join the poker card game. Ante bet is equal for all players and is made before the cards are dealt.
- Call. When the player calls, they’re willing to match the bet placed by another player.
- Raise. When the player raises, they increase their bet.
- Check. When the player checks, they pass on betting.
- Draw. When the player draws, they take new cards hoping to improve their existing hand.
- Fold. When the player folds, they give up and quit the game because their hand is too weak. When folding, the player loses their bet.
Poker hands
Most poker card games use the same poker card rankings. If your ambition is to master one of the multiple poker variations, you must memorize these hands like your phone number. Let’s take a look!
- Royal Flush - 5 same-suited cards, from Ace to Ten.
- Straight Flush - 5 same-suited cards of consecutive ranks.
- Four of a Kind - 4 same-ranked cards.
- Full House - 3 same-ranked cards, plus 2 same-ranked cards.
- Flush - any 5 same-suited cards.
- Straight - any 5 cards of consecutive ranks.
- Three of a Kind - 3 same-ranked cards.
- Two Pair - 2 same-ranked cards, plus 2 same-ranked cards.
- One Pair - 2 same-ranked cards.
- High Card - 5 unmatched cards that don’t fit any of the above patterns.
The best-paying poker hand is Royal Flush, followed by Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, etc. Royal Flush generates the highest payout which is the ultimate dream of all poker fans.
Top popular poker card game
You must be wondering which poker card game holds the crown in terms of popularity. Well, there’s no secret here. Some of the most frequently played poker variations are Caribbean Poker, 3-Card Poker, and Texas Hold’em. Over the last decades, these games have grown increasingly popular among gamblers worldwide.
Caribbean Poker
Caribbean Poker, aka Caribbean Stud, derives from American Five-Card Stud Poker. Learning how to play this game is a walk in the park. Take a look at the basic rules of this poker card game yourself! Players place an opening bet which is called “Ante”. Each player gets five cards. If you think that your hand is strong enough to beat the dealer’s hand, you double your Ante bet. If you assess your hand as weak, you should better fold, forfeiting your Ante bet. To go on with the game, the Dealer must have an Ace and King or a better combination. If the dealer fails to qualify, all active players get paid 1 to 1 on their Ante wagers.
Also, there is a chance to win extra money. You can make an additional bet to qualify for a progressive jackpot. This wager is absolutely optional. If you end up with a Royal Flush, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind or Straight Flush, you’ll get an extra payout. Winning a jackpot has nothing to do with the outcome of the main game.
3-Card Poker
3-Card Poker is another exciting variation of Stud Poker. When playing this game, your goal is to make a three-card hand which is better than the dealer’s. The thing that makes this poker card game different from other poker variations is that its hands are made of three cards, instead of the traditional five.
3-card poker features two types of bets. In addition to the forced Ante bet (wager against the dealer), you can also make the optional Pair Plus bet that can generate a payout for you later in the game. The player gets 3 cards. After examining your hand, you can either Fold, or continue playing by placing the Play wager (this wager equals to your Ante bet). To qualify, the dealer must have a Queen-High or a better hand. If the dealer fails to qualify, your Ante bet pays even money and your Play wager is returned to you. If, however, the dealer’s hand qualifies but has a lesser value than the player’s hand, both your Ante and Play wagers bring you a 1 to 1 payout.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em has a huge following, meaning you’ll have lots of people to discuss it with. On the Internet, you’ll find a myriad of guides and tutorials on how to play Texas Hold’em and become a pro. If you think that to master Texas Hold’em you have to demonstrate some extraordinary abilities, you’re mistaken. This game is not daunting at all!
Texas Hold’em is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. One of the unique features of this poker card game is that it has hole and community cards. Hole cards are for the player’s use only. As for community cards, they can be used by all players to make winning hands. This way, players can use their hole cards and shared community cards (2+5) in the attempt to make the best possible 5-card hand. The 5 community cards are dealt in 3 installments which are the Flop (the first 3 cards), the Turn (4th card), and the River (the 5th card).
Another peculiarity has to do with betting rounds. The game features four betting rounds: Preflop, Flop, Turn, and River. In each round, the player can opt for one of the following moves: Call, Raise, Fold or Check. The final round is called Showdown. It’s when the players expose their hands to determine the winner. The player who has the best five-card hand wins the pot. If two or more players have identical hands, the pot is equally divided among them.
Winning tips
Don’t worry if the rules seem too overwhelming at first glance. Once you’ve played one or two poker card games, you’ll get the gist of the gameplay and feel more comfortable. To take some weight off your shoulders, here are some useful tips for you to follow when playing Texas Hold’em.
- If you’re a complete rookie, be sure to start with free poker card games. This is a great way to get acquainted with the poker card game in a relaxed, risk-free environment.
- Once you’ve gained some practice, you can switch to real money casino games online. But tread carefully though. Poker takes a lot of time to master to perfection, so be sure to avoid rash decisions and big bets. Remember that you don't have to become a professional player in order to enjoy Texas Hold’em or any other poker variation. Millions of gamblers are doing just fine as amateurs!
- Make use of free poker tournaments. They’re also called freerolls. It’s an amazing opportunity to polish up your poker skills, enjoy competitive spirit, and win juicy cash prizes. Did you know that some poker freerolls reward up to 50 best players or so? You can count on a cash gift or free entry to a more prestigious tournament with a bigger prize pool.