Let’s be honest—Texas Hold’em is the undisputed king of the modern poker world. It’s what you see on TV, it’s the game at your local casino, and it’s probably the default for your Friday night home game. But here’s the deal: playing only Hold’em is like only ever eating vanilla ice cream. Delicious, sure, but you’re missing out on a whole world of flavor.
Mixing in other poker variants can revitalize your game night. It levels the playing field, teaches you new skills, and, frankly, it’s just more fun. So, let’s dive into some fantastic poker games beyond Hold’em that are perfect for your home game rotation. We’ll cover the basic rules, a nugget of core strategy, and why each game has its own unique charm.
Omaha: Hold’em’s Wilder Cousin
Think of Omaha as Texas Hold’em on a double espresso. The structure is familiar—community cards, betting rounds—but with one huge, game-changing twist. In Omaha, each player is dealt four hole cards instead of two. The kicker? You must use exactly two of your hole cards and three community cards to make your hand.
This simple rule creates a cascade of complexity. Hands are much, much stronger. A pair of aces is nice in Hold’em; in Omaha, it’s often a liability. The real action is in draws—flushes and straights are constantly lurking. Because players have more cards, they have more possibilities. This leads to bigger pots and, let’s be real, more dramatic swings.
Key Strategy Takeaway: The Wrap is King
Forget just chasing a straight. In Omaha, you want “wrapped” straights. A wrap is when you hold four or more cards that can connect to a straight across the board. For example, if you hold 8-9-10-J and the flop is 7-Q-2, you have a 13-out wrap (any 6, 9, 10, or J gives you a straight). These massive draws are the engine of Omaha. The core appeal? It’s a game of thrilling, calculated chaos where the nuts change constantly, and patience is rewarded with monster pots.
Seven-Card Stud: The Classic Grind
Before Hold’em ruled everything, Seven-Card Stud was the main event. It’s a game of memory, attention, and grit. There are no community cards here. Instead, each player receives seven cards: three down, four up. Your job is to make the best five-card hand from your own personal seven.
The betting rounds are interspersed with the dealing, and you have to pay close attention to what’s folded and what’s showing on your opponents’ boards. It’s like a puzzle—if you see three kings showing between all the upcards, you know your pair of queens is in trouble. That said, Stud rewards the observant player like no other game.
Key Strategy Takeaway: Remember the Dead Cards
In Hold’em, you don’t know what’s folded. In Stud, you often do. If you’re chasing a flush and three of your suit are already folded or showing in other hands, your odds plummet. Tracking these “dead cards” is non-negotiable. The appeal of Stud is its old-school, psychological duel. It’s a slower, more deliberate game that feels like a chess match played with pasteboards.
Razz: The World Upside Down
Ready to flip everything you know on its head? Razz is Seven-Card Stud, but the worst hand wins. The lowest possible five-card hand (A-2-3-4-5) is the nuts. Pairs are bad. Flushes and straights don’t count against you, but they don’t help either. It’s a pure race to the bottom.
This creates a wonderfully bizarre mental shift. You start rooting for terrible cards. That beautiful ace? It’s a godsend. That king? A disaster. The betting and structure are identical to Stud, but the goal is beautifully perverse.
Key Strategy Takeaway: Start with Three Low Cards
In Razz, you simply cannot afford to start with a high card in your initial three. A hand like (A, 2, 5) is premium. A hand with an 8 or 9 is borderline. Anything with a face card is an instant fold. The game’s appeal is its sheer novelty and the hilarious frustration of watching your “great” high-card hand get crushed by a pile of garbage. It’s a perfect palate cleanser.
5-Card Draw: The Cartoon Classic
This is the poker game you learned as a kid. Everyone gets five cards face down. There’s a round of betting, then you can discard and draw new cards (up to three, or four if you hold an ace—a common house rule), followed by a final bet. It’s simple, pure, and deeply psychological.
With no board to read, you’re playing entirely against your perception of your opponents. How many did they draw? Are they bluffing? It’s poker stripped down to its bare essentials.
Key Strategy Takeaway: Deception in the Draw
Mixing It Up: The Dealer’s Choice Night
The best way to introduce these games? Declare a “Dealer’s Choice” night. Whoever deals picks the variant for that hand. It encourages learning, creates laughter, and keeps everyone on their toes. You might even invent your own wild home game hybrids—just make sure the rules are clear before the chips fly.
Honestly, the goal isn’t to become a master of every game overnight. It’s to rediscover the joy and social connection that made you love poker in the first place. Each variant, from the mathematical frenzy of Omaha to the memory-test of Stud, exercises a different part of your poker brain. They make you a more well-rounded player, even when you return to your beloved Hold’em.
So, the next time you’re setting up the table, deal something different. You might just find your new favorite flavor.
