Despite the name, poker is actually a game of chance. There are various types of poker games and strategies that you can apply in order to improve your chances of winning. These include High-low, lowball, full house, stud variants, straight flush, and royal flush.
Straight flush
Generally, Straight flush in poker is five cards of the same suit. It is the second best poker hand in the game after the Royal flush. Despite its high ranking, straight flush has low probability of occurrence. However, it may be a winning hand in some circumstances.
Considering the fact that a straight is the best poker hand to have, it is surprising that this hand is not more popular than its sister royal flush. In fact, the straight is beaten by a few other hands, notably the flush and the full house.
Royal flush
Getting a Royal Flush in poker is a real feat. It is the highest hand possible in a game of poker. It consists of all suited cards without jokers. Getting a royal flush is similar to a long string of luck with the dice on a craps table.
The best way to get a Royal Flush is to play with the correct strategy. Generally, the more hands you play, the better the chance of getting the best possible combination.
Full house
Developed by Microsoft Game Studios and Krome Studios, Full House Poker is a video game poker variant for Windows Phone 7 and Xbox 360. It is also available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for $10.
Full House Poker has multiple game modes, including single-player and multiplayer. Players earn experience points, which lead to achievements and avatar awards. Avatars are customizable and display different responses depending on the situation. They can also be used to unlock new decks of cards and new chair colors.
High-low and lowball
Usually Lowball poker uses a system that inverts the normal ranking of hands. For example, a nine high hand is defeated by a five high hand. In some versions, straights and flushes are ignored. Similarly, a two pair hand is defeated by a one pair hand.
In lowball, a pair is bad, but a flush is good. A flush is a high hand and a pair is a low hand. For example, a six-five-four-two is a six-high, but a eight-six-five-four-two is a eight-low. Similarly, an ace-to-five is a five-high, but a four-six-three is a six-low.
Stud variants
Using a standard deck of cards, a group of players get around a circular table to compete in a series of hand tossed games. There are many stud variants of poker, but the most popular is Texas Hold’em. It’s the quintessential poker game and it’s been around since the early days of the game. The game is played on a fixed limit ante, with no blinds or pre-flop poker. It’s a fun, casual affair and the best part is that the game can be played on a computer, too.