A Guide to Poker Variants From Around the World Beyond Texas Hold’em

Let’s be honest: Texas Hold’em is the global superstar. It’s the game you see on TV, the one everyone learns first. But the world of poker is so much richer, you know? It’s a sprawling, chaotic family tree of games, each with its own quirks and strategies.

Venturing beyond the familiar flop, turn, and river is like discovering a secret menu at your favorite restaurant. The flavors are surprising, the textures different. So, let’s dive into a tour of poker variants from around the world. This is your passport to games where the drama unfolds in wild and wonderful ways.

The Draw of the Old World: Classic Variants with Staying Power

Before community cards were even a glimmer in a card shark’s eye, there was Draw poker. These games are pure, focused on what you’re dealt and what you choose to reveal. They feel more… personal, somehow.

Five Card Draw: The Granddaddy

This is the classic. The one you see in old Westerns. Each player gets five cards face down, bets, then can discard and replace up to five cards. The strategy is a beautiful blend of math and psychology—figuring out what your opponent is holding based on how many cards they draw. It’s a game of subtle tells and quiet calculation.

Badugi: The Quirky Cousin from Asia

Now here’s a curveball. Originating from Korea, Badugi is a lowball draw game, but with a twist. You’re trying to make the lowest possible hand… with four cards of different suits and different ranks. A perfect hand (A-2-3-4 of four different suits) is called a “Badugi.” It’s brain-bending at first, but honestly, once you get the hang of it, it’s incredibly addictive. The drawing rounds are tense, a real puzzle.

The Stud Family: Where the Action is Always Visible

Stud games are like a slow reveal. Some cards are face up for all to see, creating a public information puzzle that’s just delicious to solve.

Seven Card Stud: The Streetwise Strategist

This was the king of casinos before Hold’em took over. Each player gets seven cards total: three face down, four face up. You have to pay fierce attention to the “door” cards (the first face-up card) and what gets folded. It’s a memory game as much as a betting one. You’re constantly piecing together the story of what everyone might have. That said, it demands serious focus.

Razz: The Upside-Down Thrill Ride

Think of Seven Card Stud, but you want the worst possible hand. The lowest five-card hand wins. Aces are low, straights and flushes don’t count. So the best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5, unsuited. It flips your entire poker brain on its head. Seeing a table full of face-up low cards creates a uniquely frantic energy.

Community Card Chaos: More Than Just Hold’em

Sure, Hold’em uses community cards. But it’s not the only game in town that does. These variants share the board but play with a completely different rhythm.

Omaha: The Action Junkie’s Paradise

Often called Omaha Hold’em, this is Hold’em’s wilder, more volatile sibling. Here’s the deal: you get four hole cards, not two. But—and this is the crucial bit—you must use exactly two of them in combination with exactly three community cards. This simple rule creates monstrously strong hands. Flushes, full houses, they happen all the time. The pots get huge. It’s not for the faint of heart.

A popular version is Omaha Hi-Lo (8 or Better), where the pot is split between the highest and the lowest qualifying hand. The mental gymnastics required are next-level.

Courchevel: The French Flair

A lesser-known but fascinating variant. It’s like Omaha, but with a spicy prelude: the first community card (the “burn” card in other games) is dealt face-up before the first betting round. Players get their four hole cards after seeing that first board card. It changes the opening strategy dramatically, adding an extra layer of early information to chew on.

Regional Gems: Poker with a Local Flavor

This is where it gets really fun. Games that evolved in specific places, reflecting local culture and, well, a love for complex fun.

Chinese Poker (Open-Face Chinese)

Forget betting rounds. This is a points-based game. You’re dealt 13 cards (or 5 in Open-Face) and must arrange them into three poker hands: a 3-card “front” hand and two 5-card “middle” and “back” hands. The back must be strongest, the front weakest. You then compare each hand against your opponents’. It’s a spatial, solitaire-like puzzle. Scoring can get wonderfully complicated—with royalties for specific strong hands. It’s a thinker’s game.

2-7 Triple Draw (Kansas City Lowball)

A lowball draw game where the goal is the absolute worst hand in traditional poker rankings. Straights and flushes hurt you, and aces are high. So the best hand is 2-3-4-5-7 unsuited. You get three draws to try and craft this terrible beauty. The betting is intense, the draws are nerve-wracking. It’s a cult favorite for a reason.

Mus (Spain & France)

This isn’t just a card game; it’s a cultural institution. Played with a Spanish deck, Mus is a game of bluffs, signals, and partnerships. Players use a complex system of spoken bids and secret hand signals to challenge opponents. It’s as much about the psychological warfare and the camaraderie as it is about the cards in your hand. A truly social experience.

Why Branch Out? The Benefits of a Bigger Poker Palette

Learning these games isn’t just academic. It sharpens your overall poker mind. You become better at hand reading, odds calculation, and adapting to new situations. It breaks you out of autopilot. Plus, in home games or some online poker rooms, knowing these variants gives you a massive edge. You become the versatile player, the one ready for anything.

Think of it this way: if Hold’em is a perfectly grilled steak, these games are the whole spice market. They expand your taste, your skills, your enjoyment of the game’s infinite possibilities. So next time you’re at a table, maybe suggest a round of something old, or something new. The cards have more stories to tell, you just have to know how to listen.