While WSOP PA doesn’t have a stable of poker games, it does focus on the ones that produce the most results in the poker tournaments. From Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud, WSOP has detailed online guides to help you make the winning hand.
1) Texas Hold’em
As the name implies, Texas Hold’em origins stem back to a small Texas town in the early 1900s. Due to its popularity, Texas Hold’em has become the most popular alternative poker game, surpassing Seven Card Stud. As Texas Hold’em became a staple at Las Vegas casinos, it became the game of choice for, ironically, the very first World Series of Poker tournament in 1970.
Texas Hold’em players begin with two hole cards that are dealt face down for every player. Afterward, five community cards are dealt to the participating players in three stages. The initial Texas Hold’em stage is called the “pre-flop,” The pre-flop happens after the blinds are established. After the pre-flop, then “the flop,” the turns, and ultimately “the river,” otherwise known as the “showdown,” happens. After the hands are dealt, each player strategizes on presenting the best hand to win.
No-Limit Hold’em is Texas Hold’em without restrictions on the jackpot. It is also the game for Multi-Table Tournaments. Texas Hold’em is such a high-stakes game that the James Bond thriller Casino Royale shows an ultra-competitive game in high society.
2) Omaha Poker
Omaha, otherwise known as Pot Limit Omaha Poker, runs a close second to Texas Hold’em in terms of popularity. For the most part, Omaha’s pots grow as more players join the table. Regarding cash games, the rakes can increase with increasing blinds and more players joining. A popular alternative, Omaha hi-low is a staple of cash games at WSOP Casino.
Omaha Poker involves dealing four cards face down. All players must use two initial cards in their hand and three community cards they are dealt. Like Texas Hold’em, Omaha uses a 52-card deck, and the game usually consists of six or nine hands. With Pot Limit Omaha, up to ten players can join the mix, determining the jackpot before the first hand begins.
In Omaha hi-low, all participating players make up a second five-card hand from the initial hole and community cards dealt. Based on this unique side bet, the game’s pot is split from the hi and lo sides of the hand.
3) Seven Card Stud
Before Texas Hold’em dominated the casinos, Seven Card Stud, a Stud Poker variant, was the premier poker alternative for big tournaments. Of all the poker variants, Seven Card Stud plays the most like traditional poker.
Cash games with Seven Card Stud usually have two to eight players. Depending on the game with the maximum number of players, there might be special rules about how players fold during the last hand.
Typically, each player in Seven Card Stud is dealt two cards face down and one card dealt face up. Unlike other poker variations, the Seven Card Stud player, with the lowest value card dealt face up, is responsible for covering the “bring-in.” In case of ties, the card’s suit serves as a tie-breaker to determine who plays the bring-in.
Once the betting round finishes, all Seven Card Stud players are dealt another face-up card. This betting stage has players trying to outdo each other with their additional dealt cards. What makes Seven Card Stud unique in this instance is that the traditional poker straights, flushes, and full houses aren’t available due to the lack of cards. After the fifth betting round, the finale, the showdown, begins.