Which Poker Variant is Best for Beginners?

Are you thinking about getting started as a poker player? The game can be a whole bunch of fun as well as teaching you skills that will be useful in other parts of life.

Before you begin though, you must be aware that there are several versions of poker. From Texas Hold’em to Five Card Stud, each of these versions has its own distinct rules.

If you are new to poker, why not start out online? Among other advantages, many of the online sites provide their players with useful guides and tutorials covering the various poker games.

They also have video poker, which is the easiest of all to learn. When you are ready to move beyond that, you will find that some poker types are more beginner-friendly than others.

This piece will look at which ones are the best for starting out with.

Texas Hold’em

This is the most popular version of the game. Whether you visit a land-based poker room or an online one, you are sure to find Texas Hold’em among the gaming choices.

That is because it is an equally good game for new players and more experienced ones. No Limit Hold’em tends to be the type that many people play, which means that there is no limit to the rules around betting.

A game of Texas Hold’em starts with each player being given two cards that are facing down. The name for those is the ‘hole cards’.

Then there are five cards that are placed in the centre of the poker table, facing up. These are referred to within the game as the ‘community cards’.

The basic idea in Texas Hold’em is that the players must use their two hole cards plus the community ones to create the strongest hand of five that they can. Whichever player has the best value hand after the betting takes the money.

As you can see, it is a fairly easy form of poker for a new player to learn. Of course, skilled poker players will apply strategies that make it a bit more complicated.

One simple strategy that you can apply as a beginner is to show patience. There is no point in attempting to bet on hands that lack any real strength.

Of course, the bluff is always there as a poker stratagem when you have a weak hand. It is not likely that you will succeed in bluffing a more experienced player though – and it is a tactic that should be deployed sparingly anyway.

You should never be too proud to fold. A lot of newer players feel that they must bet on all hands, regardless of value. 

Sometimes that is about getting experience, but you cannot learn if you are out of the game.

Omaha

A second version of poker is Omaha and this is another very famous one. It is also another version that is a good choice for new players to start with.

Omaha sees each player given face-down hole cards, just like with Texas Hold’em. The major difference is that they get four of these cards rather than two.

There are also five community cards, but the rules diverge from Texas Hold’em at this point. In Omaha Hi – which is the best version for beginners – each player has to put together the finest hand they can using two hole cards and three community ones.

One reason why it is a sensible choice for newer poker players is that the rules make it easier to get a good hand. That is because the number of cards received by the players at the beginning of a hand goes up each time.

One strategy to remember for Omaha is that bluffing is rare with this type of poker. That means if a rival player raises your bet, they probably have a strong hand. 

Seven Card Stud

The last of the poker variants that is suitable for beginners is Seven Card Stud. This was the biggest type before Texas Hold’em took off in popularity.

It is played with seven cards, five of which are dealt face down. The aim of the game is to construct the strongest possible hand of five using both your face-up and face-down cards.

Seven Card Stud is the version of the game that many people will think of as ‘classic’ poker. Despite that, it is not particularly common at either land-based or online venues these days.

A good strategy is to focus your energies and bets on hands that contain the big pairs. Do not play too aggressively though, as that will give the game away. 

Any one of these three variants will make for a good choice if you are new to poker. Just be sure to learn the rules first.