Online Poker Player's Advocate: Online Poker Sites That I Enjoy

I will begin by describing the different versions of poker that are commonly available online. I will conclude with a list of sites that I enjoy and what games those sites have to offer. All the listed sites offer cash and tournament tables.

Texas Hold 'Em
Texas Hold 'em - or just Hold 'em, as most players know it - is probably the best known and most popular form of poker today. The game is commonly played at a six or nine handed table, but tables can have fewer seats. Players may use a combination of both, one, or none of their hole cards to make their best five card hand. If a player uses both of their hole cards, they will use three of the community board cards; or one hole card and four of the five board cards; or all five board cards, which is commonly called "playing the board" Texas Hold'em Of all the poker games, it’s the one that’s most captured the world’s imagination.

Omaha Hi Poker
Omaha Hi is a form of hold 'em. The game is commonly played at a six or nine handed table. The betting and blinds are exactly the same as hold 'em. However, when players show their hands, they MUST use exactly: two of their private cards plus three of the five board cards.

Omaha Hi/Lo
Omaha Hi/Lo is a variant of Omaha Hi. The game is also often called Omaha 8, and is commonly played at a six or nine handed table. The betting and blinds are exactly the same as in Omaha. Omaha Hi Lo Rules specify that when players show their hands, they MUST use exactly two of their private cards plus three of the five board cards. Players can use any two of their private cards with any three board cards for their high hand, and players can also use any two of their private cards with any three board cards for their low hand. It is possible to win both high hand and low hand!

Razz
If you wish you could cash in on your "bad" hands, Razz may be the game for you. Part lowball, part Stud Hi, the goal is to make the best five-card low hand from the seven cards you are dealt. It is played with anywhere from 2 to 8 players. As in regular 7 Card Stud, every player is dealt a total of seven cards, three of them face down, and the other four face up. The objective is to make your best five card low hand, using any combination of the seven cards you are dealt. Aces are always low, and straights and flushes have no effect on the low value of a hand. The lowest possible hand is A2345.

7 Card Stud
For most of the Twentieth Century, 7 Card Stud was the poker game of choice for most players. It was replaced by Texas Hold'em after the latter gained TV fame in the 90's. Poker Rules specify that when players show their hands (the showdown), they may use any 5 of their 7 cards to make their best possible poker hand

Stud Hi
Stud Hi is a game that most home game players know. The game is played at an eight-handed table and involves five rounds of betting.

Stud Hi/Lo
Stud Hi/Lo is a variant of Stud Hi. The betting, ante, and bring-in are exactly the same as in Stud Hi. When players show their hands (the showdown), they may use 5 cards of their 7 cards to make their best possible poker hand. It is possible to run out of cards in Seven Card Stud Poker if all eight players stay until the last card is dealt. If this situation does occur (as rare as it may be), the dealer will turn one board card face-up and it will be used as a community card.

Crazy Pineapple
As the name implies, Crazy Pineapple poker is a fun variation of Texas Hold'em that makes for faster play and crazy hands. This game also comes with an 8/B variation.

Triple Draw
A 5-card draw low-ball game where players are allowed to draw cards three times and the lowest hand wins! Triple Draw comes in two varieties, Ace-to-5 and Duece-to-7.

H.O.R.S.E. / H.O.S.E.
HORSE is simply short form for the following five poker games: Hold ‘em, Omaha High-Low, Razz (this is omitted in the H.O.S.E. variation), Seven-Card Stud High, and Eight-or-Better (Seven-Card Stud high-low.) Each hand has a different playing style, making this a game for the hardcore poker players looking for a real challenge.

Half No Limit Hold’em / Half Omaha
As the name of the game suggests, Half No Limit Hold’em / Half Omaha involves alternating between No Limit Hold’em and Omaha.

Full Tilt Poker - offer the following games: