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Online Poker and Best

Updated on July 13, 2024

Wild cards, matching the pot, and a fiery cross!

The game of

poker offers much more than traditional poker games. While many players today are

accustomed to more games played in a casino or poker room – games like Texas Hold’em,

Omaha, and Seven Card Stud – others may remember losing their shirts in a crazy home

game.

Those games at the kitchen table or back room with all sorts of differing card

numbers, wild cards, and other caveats make for some unique action at the

tables.

Here’s a look at some of those games. Grab your lucky charm and don’t get too

angry – in some of these games, suckouts are definitely on the menu.

#1 – Vanunu

This

was one of Daniel Negreanu’s favourite games growing up in Toronto, and he’s referenced

it often. Players are dealt all seven cards face down and roll their own, one at a

time. Bets are made until there are five upcards and two downcards.

This card game then

becomes a bit of an auction. Players can pitch a card back in, and buy another after

the last card is dealt face up, paying a predetermined amount for an upcard and twice

that for a downcard.

In Negreanu’s version, each player had to declare low, high, or

both by dropping coins on the table simultaneously – one for low, two for high, or

three for both. Players declaring both must win both ways, or they aren’t awarded any

of the pot. Additionally, if there are only multiple low declarations, the best low

hand scoops the entire pot with no high hand. It’s a unique game with many

variables.

So, this one can go from High-Low to Lowball, and players better get those

declarations right. Declaring both ways and then missing – that can be costly.

Hopefully, you’ll have Daniel’s reads and rake plenty of pots.

#2 – Pineapple and

Crazy/Lazy Pineapple

Pineapple poker has a “tropical twist” on traditional Texas

Hold’em and has become much-loved by many. In Pineapple, a player is dealt three cards

and then discards one before the first round of betting. The betting continues like in

traditional Texas Hold’em.

In Crazy Pineapple, players don’t discard until after the

flop. All other rules of Hold’em then apply. In Lazy Pineapple, players can hold onto

the three cards and then discard one after the river and last round of betting.

What’s

the catch? The extra card and discard element add an extra twist, and it inevitably

seems like a player pitches the wrong card back into the muck. You may have kept that

top pair, but that discarded card may have brought a straight. That deuce tossed in the

muck may have turned into trips with runner-runner 2s.

It’s enough to drive you crazy,

but a fun game nonetheless – and maybe worth serving up a nice frozen one too along

with the poker. Enjoy!

#3 – Criss Cross, Fiery Cross, or Iron Cross

There can be some

significant anticipation in this game. Each player is dealt four cards, and five cards

are also dealt face down in a “cross” formation in the centre of the table. After a

round of betting, one of the outside cards is turned up. Betting then continues, and

this pattern continues until only the centre card is face down.

The centre card is

turned last, and a final bet is made. Players have the option to use two, three, or

four of their cards and either the vertical or horizontal cards on the board and two of

their own.

There are numerous variations. Some allow for players to use more than two

of their hole cards or feature a high/low split. Another common addition is to make the

centre card wild – making for some interesting showdowns. That centre card could change

your hand entirely – good or bad. What had been a solid hand, can now be a costly

loser.

#4 – Irish Poker

This game combines a bit of Texas Hold’em and Omaha – and,

hopefully, a little luck of the Irish when it comes to your own hand. Players begin

with four cards and betting follows pre-flop in the traditional style.

However, after

the betting on the flop, players must discard two cards. The game is then played out as

in Hold’em. The discarding makes for some unique opportunities to cobble together a

hand, but would those two cards you threw away have made a better hand once the turn

and river are dealt?

No doubt, there will be plenty of thoughts like this at the

table:

“Damn, I’d have made a full house!”

“Those two spades on the turn and river

would have made me the nut flush if I’d kept that King. Argh!” Irish poker has a bit

more swing than Hold’em, and the above statements are all part of the fun. Just really

think about those cards you’re sending back.

#5 – Black Mariah or Low Chicago

Sometimes

it pays to do nothing more than get lucky. That certainly applies in these games. Black

Mariah and Low Chicago are versions of Seven-Card Stud. In Black Mariah, the player

with the high spade in the hole wins half the pot. That’s it. No three-betting, slow

playing, or in-depth analysis about any hand. Just get lucky enough to be dealt that

low spade and then keep that pot building – half of it is yours.

This was a favourite

of Phil Hellmuth growing up in Wisconsin. It must have been an interesting sight to see

the Poker Brat’s 3? beaten by the 2?. That might have brought a bit of a rant. The game

is also often called Low Chicago with High Chicago being the opposite – the player with

the highest spade in the hole splitting the pot. This may not involve a lot of skill,

but it can make for some big pots.

Some players add a side pot to these games instead

of splitting the pot. Hellmuth’s games got even crazier, often with Deuces, One-Eyed

Jacks, and Suicide Kings as wild cards. The name “Black Mariah” may derive from the

villain in the Luke Cage Marvel comics. In the game, however, Black Mariah is a hero –

and can bring you plenty of profits.

#6 – Badugi

Be prepared to get confused or

frustrated. This game has gained more popularity in recent years with its inclusion in

some of the mixed games tournaments at the World Series of Poker and in the WSOP 2024,

Badugi had dedicated bracelet events for the first time. But it's certainly different

from traditional poker.

Badugi is a lowball game in which players are dealt four cards.

The game is played with blinds and features three drawing rounds. After betting, a

player can keep all his cards (called standing pat) or discard some or all.

Play

continues until all players have folded except one, or the third drawing round is

completed. The goal is to make the lowest hand possible without a pair and all cards of

a different suit. For example, A? 2? 3? 4? would be the lowest possible Badugi. A hand

with a pair or second card of the same suit, such as A? 2? 3? 7? or 6? 7? 8? 8?, would

only qualify as a three-card Badugi. Either of these hands would lose to a completed

four-card Badugi. Straights and flushes don't count towards making a hand in

Badugi.

And that’s what can be frustrating. You may have A? 2? 3?, and then keep

drawing another diamond, club, or heart – ouch!

Ready to mix this poker game up even

more? Badeucy is a combination of Badugi and 2-7 Triple Draw. Like Badugi, it features

three rounds of betting and drawing. The game splits the pot between the best four-card

Badugi hand and the best five-card 2-7 hand. However, Aces count high in this game, so

the best Badugi hand would start with a 2, hence the name of the game. For example, a

player holding 2? 3? 4? 5? 7? would have the nuts in both Badugi and 2-7 – with the 2?

3? 4? 5? as the best possible Badugi.

The challenge is that an extra card makes it

easier for players to make some lower Badugi hands. Higher Badugis will not win as

often, so that can be a challenge, especially in a game where players making solid

hands will continue to bet and grow the pot.

It’s a challenging game that makes you

think, but can be costly if you hang on too much hoping to outdraw opponents. Think low

in this Lowball/Lowball split pot game. Got all that?

#7 – Anaconda

Pass, pass, roll

those cards. This is a bastardised version of Seven-Card Stud in which players are

dealt seven cards face down. There is a round of betting and players then pass three

cards to a player to the left or right (determined by the dealer). After another round

of betting, players then pass two cards, and then finally one last card after another

round of betting.

Players then place their best five cards in a stack face down. Cards

are exposed one at a time followed by a betting round until all five are exposed. Some

players play with only two rounds of card passing, and it’s also often played as a

high-low split.

It can be a frustrating affair. You’ll often have to break up an

already nicely setup hand. And when you try going low, your neighbours will inevitably

pass you plenty of high cards.

Where did the name come from? That may be lost with

time, but perhaps it’s about the long time for betting or the snake of cards working

their way around the table. Whatever the inspiration, it can be a fun game with plenty

of action.

#8 – Three-Card Guts

This game can take some real courage – and quickly

empty your wallet. In this unique poker variant, players are dealt three cards and can

decide whether to play their hand or not by simultaneously dropping a chip in the

centre of the table. The winner takes the pot, and the losers match it. For example, if

three players stay and there isR$5 in the pot, the two losers each pony up making for a

newR$10 pot.

The process repeats until only one player is raking the entire pot. The

game builds some significant action and fun. Winning those big pots takes some guts as

the name implies, and pots can really balloon if several players stay in and have to

match the pot.

What started as aR$10 pot becomesR$40 if four players stay in. If three

more then stay, that becomesR$120. If three more remain? Well, you see where this is

going. Have you got the guts?

#9 – Cincinnati

Here’s yet another geographically named

poker game. In this one, each player is dealt five cards face down. Five cards are also

dealt face down in the middle of the table with each exposed one at a time, followed by

a round of betting. After the final round, players use any of their hole cards and

those on the board to make their best five-card hand.

This isn’t Big O – you have five

cards to make your best hand. It can make for some huge hands! Be ready to have your

flush or straight beaten regularly. Don’t be a lamebrain.

Speaking of lamebrains, an

alternate version is known as Lamebrain Pete, and the lowest card on the board is

considered wild – making for an even crazier twist on an already crazy game as players

hope one of their low cards ends up being wild.

#10 – 2 and 22

No man’s land out in the

middle won’t work in this one. This split pot game is quite a bit different from

regular poker games. An Ace can be used as 1 or 11 as in Blackjack. However, face-card

count as half. Players are dealt one card face down, and one card face up. The goal is

to get as close to 2 or 22 to split the pot. After being dealt two cards, there is a

round of betting and players can decide to take another or stand-pat.

Players who pass

three times are locked and can’t take more cards. After everyone is locked or no one

takes a card, there is a showdown. The added fun in this one may be the unique

bluffing. Players with a low up card tend to bet at a pot and at least bluff at the

low. If no one else has a high up card, that makes for a smart play. A player may have

a King up but still have a high card underneath. The savvy bluffer may actually win the

low with a 10-1/2.

A player dealt a 2 down, and a King up has 2-½, an excellent hand.

Also, a lucky player dealt Ace-Ace will win the pot both ways and certainly be looking

to build the pot. There can be some added frustrations. In this game, low beats high so

a player with 21-½ would top a player with 22-½ – and 2-½ would be topped by 1-½. Also,

a player going high may be close to that completed hand and keep getting low cards, and

then boom – a 10 hits your hand and ruins it all. There are numerous variations, but

it’s a fun game to shake things up.

#11 - Mexican Sweat

Mexican Sweat makes

decision-making in Hold'em seem like a walk in the park. In this game, each player is

initially dealt seven hole cards and then two cards are dealt face up in the middle of

the table. The first card is the kill card, which means that any hand with this card

must be folded immediately. The second is the card to beat. The players may not look at

their cards.

After the initial deal, the player to the left of the dealer is the first

one to act. They begin revealing their hole cards, one at a time with the objective of

beating the high card in the middle. For example, let's say the card in the middle is

an 8. The player would need to flip a 9 or higher, a pair of any rank, a flush, a

straight etc. If they turn another 8, it's not enough to beat the 8 in the middle.

When

the player successfully beats the card in the middle, they immediately stop revealing

cards. A betting round begins, led by the active player and, after it's done, the

player to the left starts flipping their cards. This time, though, they're not trying

to beat the high card in the middle, but the exposed portion of the hand of the player

that precedes them.

But there's another twist. Remember the kill card? If a player

reveals a card of the same rank as the kill card, they must fold immediately and

forfeit the possibility of winning the pot. Now imagine knowing as much about your hand

as your opponents and having to bet based on that. Hard enough for you?

#12 - Follow

the Queen

If you're a fan of Seven Card Stud, you will love this one. Follow the Queen

plays out just like a Stud game. Each player is dealt 2 cards face down and 1 card face

up. This is followed by a betting round that is started by the player with the lowest

face-up card. Then each player gets dealt another face up card, one by one, until each

has 7 cards total, with a betting round in between each deal.

The twist? There are wild

cards. Every Queen that is dealt face up becomes a wild card and the card dealt after

the Queen also becomes wild for every player. So let's say a player is dealt a Queen

and the next player is dealt a deuce. Now Queens and Deuces are wild and any player

with a Deuce has a wild card. If another Queen is flipped, then the previous wild card

is no longer wild and the one dealt after that Queen becomes the new wild card for

everyone who holds one.

And that's the fun of it! Not only do you need to account for

what each opponent might have considering their up-cards, but now you also need to

consider the possibility of wild cards coming into play. Can you imagine your friends

whining each time a Queen changes everything?

Find out how to set up a private home

game on 888poker for you and your friends to play.