The Best Poker Variants for Beginners: From Texas Hold'em to Razz

If you’re itching to try your luck at poker, you’ll quickly discover there’s no shortage of variations. Each variant has its own charm, complexity, and set of strategies, which can feel both exciting and intimidating to beginners. In this guide, we’ll explore the rules of four popular poker variants in much greater depth, then rank them in order of beginner-friendliness, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll have a solid understanding of how each version works and which one might suit you best.

1. Texas Hold’em

Why It’s Beginner-Friendly

Texas Hold’em is widely considered the easiest poker variant for newcomers to learn. It’s also the most commonly played format in both live and online casinos. Since it’s featured in a vast number of tournaments, movies, and TV shows, the rules are well-documented, and you’ll never be short of resources to improve your skills.

How the Game Works

1. Setup: The game is played with a standard 52-card deck. Between two and ten players can sit at a table.

2. Posting Blinds: Two players to the left of the dealer post the “small blind” and “big blind.” These forced bets create an initial pot before any cards are dealt. The dealer button moves clockwise around the table after each hand.

3. Hole Cards: Each player is dealt two cards face down (known as “hole cards”).

4. Pre-Flop Betting: After players receive their hole cards, a first round of betting takes place. You can fold (give up the hand), call (match the current highest bet), or raise (increase the bet).

5. The Flop: Three community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. Another round of betting follows.

6. The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt face up, followed by another betting round.

7. The River: A fifth and final community card is dealt face up, triggering the last betting round.

8. Showdown: If more than one player remains after the final round of betting, all players reveal their hole cards. The best five-card hand (using any combination of hole cards and community cards) wins the pot.

Key Beginner Tips

• Start with Lower Table Limits: Low-stakes games help you learn without risking large sums.

• Hand Selection: Not all hands are worth playing; be selective and consider folding weaker hands pre-flop.

• Slow Play Strategically: Knowing how to master the art of slow playing in poker can help you trap opponents and maximise winnings with strong hands.

• Learn the Basics: Having a solid grounding in how to play poker overall will drastically improve your performance in Texas Hold’em.

2. Omaha

Why It Ranks After Texas Hold’em

Omaha is structurally similar to Texas Hold’em, but it’s slightly more complex due to the extra hole cards and a stricter hand-composition rule. Many beginners who have some familiarity with Hold’em move on to Omaha for a new challenge.

How the Game Works

1. Setup: Just like Texas Hold’em, Omaha uses a 52-card deck with up to ten players at a table.

2. Posting Blinds: The small blind and big blind are placed by the two players to the left of the dealer.

3. Hole Cards: Each player is dealt four hole cards (instead of two).

4. Betting Structure: Omaha typically follows the same betting sequence as Texas Hold’em—pre-flop, flop, turn, and river.

5. Community Cards: Five community cards are revealed in three stages (flop, turn, river), just like in Texas Hold’em.

6. Hand Composition Rule: Here’s the twist—each player must use exactly two of their hole cards and three of the five community cards to form their final five-card hand. This differs from Texas Hold’em, where you can use any combination of your hole cards and community cards.

Key Beginner Tips

• Watch Your Combinations: With four hole cards, your potential combinations are greater, but remember you can only use two of them. This can tempt beginners to overvalue their hands.

• Mind the Action: More possible draws often mean more action in betting rounds. Be prepared for bigger pots.

• Play Cautiously at First: Omaha can lead to swings (big wins and big losses) more frequently than Texas Hold’em.

3. Seven-Card Stud

Stepping Back to a Classic

Before Texas Hold’em stole the limelight, Seven-Card Stud was the go-to version in many poker rooms. It offers a slower pace, giving players time to think through each decision. However, it has more complicated betting rounds and requires keen observation, which can challenge newer players.

How the Game Works

1. Setup: Seven-Card Stud is typically played with two to eight players.

2. No Blinds, But Antes: Instead of blinds, each player posts an “ante” at the start of each hand. This is a small forced bet to create a pot.

3. Third Street: Each player is dealt three cards—two face down, one face up. The face-up card is often called the “door card.” The player with the lowest face-up card usually has to place a “bring-in” bet.

4. Fourth Street: Each player receives another face-up card, then a betting round occurs.

5. Fifth Street & Sixth Street: The next two cards are also dealt face up, each followed by a betting round.

6. Seventh Street (The River): Each player is dealt a final card face down, leading to the last betting round.

7. Showdown: Players reveal their best five-card hands out of the seven cards they hold. The highest-ranking hand wins the pot.

Key Beginner Tips

• Focus on Exposed Cards: Pay close attention to which cards are face up. This can help you deduce which cards remain in the deck and what your opponents might be holding.

• Patience is Crucial: The game moves more slowly than Texas Hold’em or Omaha, giving you time to carefully consider each street of betting.

• Starting Hand Values: Not all three-card starting hands are created equal. High pairs and suited connectors (cards of consecutive ranks in the same suit) can offer good potential.

4. Razz

The Outlier

Razz flips traditional poker logic on its head. Instead of trying to make the highest-ranking hand, your goal is to make the lowest possible hand. If you enjoy a twist and don’t mind thinking in reverse, this can be a fun and rewarding challenge. However, it tends to be more complex for beginners.

How the Game Works

1. Structure is Similar to Seven-Card Stud: The dealing order and betting streets (Third Street, Fourth Street, etc.) are practically identical to Seven-Card Stud.

2. Objective: You want the lowest five-card hand with no pairs. In other words, A-2-3-4-5 is the best possible hand in Razz.

3. Avoiding High Cards: Unlike most other poker variants, high cards are disadvantageous. For example, if your face-up cards are mostly 8s, 9s, or 10s, it indicates a “weaker” Razz hand.

4. Showdown: After Seventh Street and the final betting round, you use the best (lowest) five-card combination out of the seven you were dealt.

Key Beginner Tips

• Relearn Hand Rankings: The reversed objective can be confusing if you’re accustomed to traditional poker rankings.

• Stay Alert to Opponents’ Upcards: Because you need to keep track of which low cards are already out, it’s vital to pay attention to everyone’s exposed cards.

• Embrace the Challenge: Razz is a niche game, so the player pools can be smaller. Once you get comfortable, you might find yourself with a decent edge.

Our Ranking for Beginners

1. Texas Hold’em: The best place to start for its simplicity, popularity, and abundance of learning resources.

2. Omaha: A logical next step once you’re comfortable with Hold’em, offering more hole cards and more action.

3. Seven-Card Stud: A classic version that moves more slowly but requires careful observation of exposed cards.

4. Razz: The most “unorthodox” of the bunch, requiring you to aim for the lowest hand. It’s definitely fun, but not the easiest for first-timers.

Wrapping Up

With so many intriguing ways to play, poker is a game you can enjoy for a lifetime. Whether you’re brand new or an intermediate player, the best way to refine your skills is by studying how to play poker, starting small with lower stakes, and practising consistently. From Texas Hold’em’s ubiquity to Razz’s contrarian challenge, there’s a format for every type of player. Dive in, experiment, and see which variant resonates with you the most. Good luck at the tables!