Omaha What? Four Poker Variants for Games Night

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If you’ve been playing poker for a while and getting a bit bored with only being so-so at Texas Hold’em, it could be time to shake things up and try out a new variant.  

Hold’em poker is indeed the world’s most popular variant of the game that’s widely popularised through streaming services, but it’s not the only one. There are many poker variants to learn and practice. In this article, we’ll be looking at four to try out during your next games night.  

1. Omaha Hi-Lo 

AKA Omaha 8 or Better, Omaha Hi-Lo is a great place to start if you’re looking for a change from Hold’em poker. It’s similar to the more popular Pot Limit Omaha and can even be found in a handful of online poker rooms, as well as at large pro tournaments and events.  

Unlike any other poker variants, the pot in an Omaha Hi-Lo game is divided in half between the highest-ranked poker hand and the lowest, hence the name. If no low hands qualify, then the person with the highest hand will win the full pot.  

Omaha Hi-Lo is straightforward to learn, even though players need to memorise both high and low poker hand combinations. It’s also a lot more action-packed than classic hold ’em poker since there are two chances of having the best hand at the table instead of one.  

2. 5 Card Draw 

The aim of this classic form of draw poker is to make the highest-ranked poker hand from, you’ve guessed it, five cards. If you’ve ever watched a poker scene in a TV show or movie, the characters would be likely playing the 5 card draw.  

Compared to Omaha Hi-Lo, which does come with a learning curve even for experienced Hold’em players, 5 Card Draw rules are much easier to learn. The game only features one drawing round and two rounds of betting, and there are no community cards. 

All players are dealt their own, individual hands, which they keep hidden from other players. You’ll need to adjust your strategy to play it, but it nevertheless makes for a very interesting dynamic. 

3. Badugi 

A relatively young poker variant (Badugi first began being played in the 1980s), this format of the game is quite rare and offers a refreshing change during games night.  

Badugi is unique because it has a completely different hand ranking system to determine the best hand. While this can make it tricky for experienced Hold’em players to get to grips with initially, this variant can be a good one for poker novices to start with.  

The variant can be classed as both a draw and lowball game. Players are dealt four cards instead of the usual five, with winning hands being ranked from the highest card down. Aces are always low since the aim of the game is to make the lowest ‘Badugi’ possible.  

4. Chinese Poker 

Perhaps the most obscure poker variant in play today, Chinese Poker sets its own rules for gaming patterns. It may not be very popular in modern poker culture – the last Chinese Poker events played at the World Series of Poker took place in 1996 – which is a shame, since this variant is quite beginner-friendly and a lot of fun to get to grips with.  

It helps to have a fundamental knowledge of the basic hand rankings in poker to play Chinese Poker, but as with all variants, beginners can pick this knowledge up as they start playing. The game does have different scoring systems and is usually played by 4 players, although it can work with 2 or 3 players as well.