Poker rules for every game
How each variant is dealt, how the betting works and the rules that trip people up. Start with Texas Hold’em if you’re new.
- NLH
Texas Hold’em
Two private cards, five shared cards, four betting rounds. The world’s most popular poker game.
- Players
- 2–10
- Hole cards
- 2
- Community cards
- 5
- Usual betting
- No-Limit
- PLO
Pot-Limit Omaha
Four hole cards, and you must use exactly two of them. Bigger draws, closer equities and bigger pots.
- Players
- 2–9 (6-max is most common)
- Hole cards
- 4
- Community cards
- 5
- Usual betting
- Pot-Limit
- PLO8
Omaha Hi-Lo (8 or Better)
Omaha where the pot is split between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand.
- Players
- 2–10
- Hole cards
- 4
- Community cards
- 5
- Usual betting
- Pot-Limit or Fixed-Limit
- 6+
Short Deck Hold’em (6+)
Hold’em played with a 36-card deck — the twos to fives are removed — creating bigger hands and more action.
- Players
- 2–9
- Deck
- 36 cards (6 through ace)
- Hole cards
- 2
- Usual betting
- No-Limit, often with antes and a button blind
- Stud
Seven-Card Stud
The classic before Hold’em: no community cards, a mix of face-up and face-down cards, and plenty of information to read.
- Players
- 2–8
- Cards per player
- 7 (3 down, 4 up)
- Community cards
- None
- Usual betting
- Fixed-Limit