The play and betting in Omaha are similar to Texas hold’em. However, instead of two hole cards, Omaha players are dealt four hole cards to start the betting. Then there is a flop of three community cards before the last round of betting. Furthermore, players must use only two of their hole cards and all three community cards to make their hands. Omaha is often played lowball. Because flushes and straights are not counted in Omaha lowball games, the best hand is A-2-3-4-5, suits not being considered. There is also a game called Omaha high-low split pot. With two pots there are two winners, one having the best high hand and the other the best low hand. Omaha games are quite popular and are played in the World Series of Poker (WSOP), described below.

Caribbean stud poker

In Caribbean stud poker each player pits a five-card stud hand against the dealer’s hand. First the players make an ante bet. Then the dealer gives the players and himself five cards each. Four of the dealer’s cards are dealt facedown and one faceup. The players look at their cards and then either fold or bet an amount double their ante. After the players have finished betting, the dealer looks at his cards to determine if he has a “qualifying hand.” A qualifying hand is ace-king high or better. If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, the dealer folds and pays each remaining player the amount of the ante; the second bets are ignored.

However, if the dealer’s hand does qualify, each player either loses (if the dealer has the better hand) or wins an amount equal to the ante plus an amount on the second bet according to the following schedule: ace-king high or one pair, 1 to 1; two pair, 2 to 1; three of a kind, 3 to 1; straight, 4 to 1; flush, 5 to 1; full house, 7 to 1; four of a kind, 20 to 1; straight flush, 50 to 1; and royal flush, 100 to 1.

There is another side bet that the player may make at the beginning. The player may bet $1 on the value of his hand and can win a special payoff for staying in the betting, even if the dealer’s hand does not qualify. The casino will have a progressive jackpot for this bet. A flush will get $50, a full house $100, a straight flush 10 percent of the progressive jackpot, and a royal flush the full jackpot. The jackpot keeps growing until there is a winner.

Let it ride

Let it ride is a five-card stud poker game. There is no dealer’s hand in this house-banked game. Each player lays three equal bets on the table before receiving three cards facedown. Then each player may let his first bet stay on the table, or he may withdraw it. A community card is then dealt faceup, and each player decides whether to withdraw his second bet or “let it ride.” His third bet must stay. Then a final community card is revealed. Each player now has a five-card poker hand, which is paid off according to a schedule. If a player does not have at least a pair of 10s, he loses any bets that he did not withdraw. A pair of 10s gets the bettor’s wagers returned to him. Two pairs give him a return of 2 to 1 on bets that he let ride; three of a kind, 3 to 1; a straight, 5 to 1; a flush, 8 to 1; a full house, 11 to 1; four of a kind, 50 to 1; a straight flush, 200 to 1; and a royal flush, 1,000 to 1. Like Caribbean stud, there is also an opportunity to make a $1 bonus bet that pays off 20,000 to 1 for a royal flush and less for other good hands.

Pai-gow poker

Pai-gow poker is a house-banked even-payout game. Each player is given seven cards, as is the dealer. Each then makes his best two-card and best five-card hand. If both of a player’s hands are better than the dealer’s two hands, the player wins an amount equal to his bet, less a 5 percent commission on the winnings. If both of the dealer’s hands are better, the dealer wins the wager. Otherwise, the player takes back his bet. A standard 52-card deck is used along with a joker, which may be used as an ace or to complete a straight or a flush. The best possible hand is five aces.

Three-card poker

Three-card poker is a house-banked stud game in which three cards are dealt facedown to each player and the dealer. Each player makes two initial bets, one bet placed on a centre circle and the other placed on an ante square. The centre circle bet can be won if the player’s three cards show certain values—e.g., the player wins 2 to 1 for a pair or 5 to 1 for a three-card straight. The ante bet places the player’s hand against the dealer’s hand. After the deal the player may choose to drop out by forfeiting the ante or stay by raising. If the dealer does not have an opening, or qualifying, hand (queen high or better), the dealer pays the player 2 to 1 for the ante bet, and the raise is canceled. If the dealer can open, then both the ante and the raise are wagered against the dealer, who either wins both or pays the player 2 to 1 for both. A bonus square may also permit the player to wager for a payoff on a “super” hand, such as three of a kind or a three-card straight flush.

Video poker

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Video poker games have very little appeal to serious poker players, because the human element is completely removed from the contest—which thus eliminates bluffing and tells (“reading” other players) as well as most betting strategies. However, video poker machines have become the most popular machines in most casinos. Also, several state lotteries use video poker lottery terminals. Typically, a player is dealt a five-card hand on a video screen and is allowed to ask for one or more new cards as in draw poker. The player may be awarded various winnings according to the value of the final hand.