Don't just limit yourself to holdem
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Dingus
Nibs: 36,441
Member Since: Dec 19th 2005 |
Blog Post
Many players will stick just to texas holdem because it is by far the easiest game to play. These players will be missing out on a great opportunity to not only sharpen their overall poker skills, but to broaden their knowledge of skills essential to texas holdem.
I am a fan of all the games I will list below and have been able to take away something from each one that has helped my overall skills as a poker player. These games will also help to break up any boredom you have with holdem, as well as give you a fresh look at a different game, should you find yourself in a holdem rut.
Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Hi Lo
A fun 7 card game, where each player is dealt 3 cards (2 face down, 1 face up) that invloves 5 rounds of betting and 4 more cards being dealt out each round (the final card also being face down). Players get to see 4 out of 7 cards in each players hand, which make the game quite interesting. The low version of the game utilizes cards A - 8 to make the best low hand, while also having a winner for the high hand. Each winner is entitled to at least half the pot.
Seeing other cards in the game forces you to take in account what has and hasn't been dealt out. You must pay attention to what is going on and remember exactly how many of the outs you need to hit are already gone.
poker skill developed: ability to pay attention, memory and recollection
Omaha and Omaha Hi Lo
The next great poker game, this card game allows players to use 2 cards from their hand (you are dealt 4) as well as 3 from the board to make their best poker hand. In the hi lo version, players can use any 2 cards to make a high and any 2 cards from their hand to make a low (A - 8). This game follows betting patterns similar to texas holdem.
With so many potential hands out there, omaha requires players to be able to read the board and determine quickly what the best hand is and what their opponents could be betting with. The pot versions of the game require precise ability to calculate pot odds in order to determine the best course of action.
poker skill developed: ability to read the board and identify potential hands, ability to calculate pot odds and potential outs quickly
Razz
Fairly new to some online poker sites, razz is won by having the best low hand. Players are given 2 down cards and 1 up card, with betting and dealing style similar to seven card stud.
This game relies on deception (due to the down cards) and the ability to recall what cards have already been dealt out, in order to become profecient.
poker skills developed: bluffing in the right spots, memory recollection
HORSE
A limt game that combines holdem, omaha hi lo, razz, seven card stud and seven card stud hi lo, HORSE enables the poker player to experiment playing many games at once. Each individual game consists of 10 hands, and players are welcome to join the game or leave at any time.
With each game only lasting 10 hands, players are forced to switch gears and adapt to each new game quickly.
poker skills developed: best game for developing overall poker prowess, bluffing, deception, memory and recollection, pot odds, etc.
There are many games out there, and I recommend trying out a few. Not only to help broaden your poker skills, but to keep the competitive nature of gaming fun and fresh for yourself. New games, require new skills, and the great thing about poker is that something can always be used in another game.
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Comments (1)
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Posted on Jun 30th 2008 by PI_Viceroid
That's why the most expensive event on the WSOP is a HORSE event. |
