There are many poker variants being played in today’s brick-and-mortar as well as online poker rooms. The most popular if these are Texas Holdem, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, Razz and Pineapple. By far the most popular of them all, are the community card variants, namely Holdem and Omaha.

Even though the two games are closely related, the odds they carry make them very different.

Texas Holdem is the game of choice for about 95% of all online poker players. It works like this: players sit around the poker table. There’s a dealer button, which moves in a clockwise direction from one player to another, after each hand is concluded. The player to the immediate left of the dealer is the “small blind” the next one is the “big blind”. These two guys post a certain amount of money upfront (in the “blind”) with the big blind being twice the size of the small blind. As soon as they posted the blinds (there’s no ante or “bring in” in Holdem) the dealer gives each player two cards face down (called Hole- or pocket cards) in a clockwise direction.

Betting begins. This is what they call “preflop betting”. As soon as the first round of betting is over, the dealer puts three cards face up on the board for all to see. Players make their hands using the two cards they were dealt and the three community ones from the board.

After another round of betting (in which – needless to say – everyone can choose to call, fold or raise) another community card (the turn) is posted. Another round of betting commences, followed by the 5th community card (the river). At the end of the last betting round, comes the showdown. The player who makes the best poker hand using both or one of his pocket cards, and 3 or 4 cards off the board, wins.

Simple as 1-2-3. You too can become a poker player, the sooner you start, the further you’ll reach.