If you play at Bet365 Poker, then you’ll be aware that Texas Hold’em is, as it is on almost every other major poker site, the predominant form of the game available on site.
The good news is, this means that you can find a huge number of different types of Hold’em games on Bet365 Poker, ranging from satellites to the biggest poker events in the world, down to micro stakes games for beginner players still learning the game.
However, as a poker player, Hold’em can be a game that floats that narrow line between being hugely exciting and damnably frustrating. When you are playing well but seemingly cannot win a hand, no matter how strong your cards, it can turn even the most sedate and restrained poker player into a raging, frustrated monster.
This is usually the point when players on Bet365 Poker, or indeed any other poker site, decide that perhaps a change of scenery may be in order. This doesn’t necessarily mean joining a new site, but rather experiencing a new form of poker.
Fortunately, on Bet365 Poker, you don’t only have a choice of Texas Hold’em but there are a wide range of other forms of poker available to play too.
Here, we will take a look at some of the other forms of poker you can play direct from your Bet365 Poker account. Don’t have a Bet365 account? Don’t worry – as a new player you’ll be eligible for over $7,000 in Bet365 Poker no deposit welcome bonus offers, making signing up for the site a no-brainer.
Omaha (Limit & Pot Limit)
There is one small difference between Omaha and Texas Hold’em and that is that the player receives four pocket cards rather than two.
However, despite this small difference, the impact this has on the actual game can be marked. The player can use any two of their pocket cards to make their strongest hand with the community cards, or they can use four, or all five community cards. They cannot use three or four pocket cards to make a hand, only two maximum.
The upshot of this is that players have a far greater chance of hitting a stronger poker hand with four pocket cards than they do too. As such, Omaha is a very volatile game and this is the reason the game is usually played with limits (either Limit or Pot Limit). These terms simply apply to the cap on betting and how this is applied and worked out in the game.
In Limit hold’em, betting is capped at a certain level. In Pot Limit, betting is capped at how much is in the pot, plus the current highest bet, plus what you would need to place into the pot to call.
Omaha is a game that can see players win and lose larger amounts than Texas Hold’em more quickly due to its more volatile nature, however played for lower or micro stakes, it is an incredibly fun way to play the game and does help players develop their Hold’em skills too.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo takes the standard Omaha game but gives it an additional twist where the pot is split between the best high hand and also the best low hand (eight-high or lower). In Omaha Hi-Lo, players are dealt four cards and the game progresses in the usual way as Omaha (and indeed Texas Hold’em with the rounds of betting and the drawing of the community cards).
However when it comes to deciding who wins the pot, the player with the best hand wins half the pot, whereas the player with the best low hand, wins the other half. The key element to remember here is that some times there may not be a qualifying low hand on the board. If there are not three cards, or different ranks, numbered 8 or below on the board then a low hand (which must be eight high or lower) is not possible.
It is also worth noting that this is a very complex version of Omaha Poker compared to the original and I would ensure that you are familiar playing Omaha and have played the Hi-Lo version of the game in the free-to-play rooms where possible to ensure you have a full grasp of how this intricate and complex game plays out.
7-Card Stud
Until the Texas Hold’em boom a few years ago, 7-Card Stud was the most popular form of the game for many people, especially those who played Poker in their home, or at a local casino. The game is less popular online but it is possible to play it on Bet365 Poker.
In seven card poker, each player makes the best possible five-card poker hand from seven cards that they have been dealt. The first two cards are dealt face down to the player, then the next four cards are dealt face up to the player so all players can see, the seventh and final card is dealt face down.
After the first two face down cards are dealt the betting begins and there is a round of betting after each player remaining in the hand receives their next card. After each player has received their seventh card a final round of betting takes place with the players remaining going into a showdown.
They then turn over their three face down cards and make up their best five-card poker hand from their seven cards, with the strongest hand taking the pot.
5-Card Stud
Another form of stud poker, 5-Card stud is also available at Bet365 Poker. This is more than simply a smaller version of 7-card stud and the differences between the game make 5-card stud a less volatile game than Texas Hold’em, Omaha or 7-Card Stud.
In 5-Card Stud a player is dealt just one card face down and then their second card is dealt face up. A round of betting follows before a third card is dealt face up. Another round of betting follows this before the fourth card is dealt face up. The next round of betting commences before the fifth and final card is dealt to each player face up.
A final round of betting, if required, follows and then if two players remain in the pot, a showdown takes place where players reveal their one face down card and the best hand wins. Due to the fact that 4/5 of the cards are known to all players at the table, this is a game which is more certain for players and as a result, betting is simpler as players understand better when to fold, and when not to.
The 5-Card Stud games on Bet365 Poker do not generate much traffic compared to other forms of poker, so it is only advisable to play these at busier times of the day.
Razz
Razz is essentially a variation of 7-card stud where instead of the player with the best hand, the player with the lowest ranked hand wins the pot. Unlike 7-Card Stud however, there is no eight-or better requirement to win the pot and the Ace counts as a low card in the game and also straights and flushes do not count as a qualifying hand, therefore, the best possible hand in Razz is 5-4-3-2-A, which counts as a 5-high.
What this means is, even if you are looking for a fresh challenge away from the Hold’em tables, Bet365 Poker has an excellent array of different poker games to try, some of which have stood the test of time and offer the player a vastly different experience to hold’em.
Before you play, always familiarise yourself with the rules of each game and if possible, play a few practise hands to get yourself familiar with the game, how the hand progresses and the way people bet. Time spent preparing before you risk your real cash is time well spent indeed.
Interested in yet more variations of Bet365 Poker? Read our guide to knockout games on Bet 365 Poker and see if it’s the right game for you.
