Rohan MathawanThe year 2020 has been an eventful year for the online card gaming industry and the most thriving game in this segment has been online poker. The skill based card game is already popular worldwide and now India too has gained traction in this industry due to the rise of multiple online poker sites in the past half-decade or so.
So, what are the different online poker variants that players can learn and play in Indian poker sites today and which one catches your fancy? Let’s find out.
What are the Popular Poker Variants in Town?
Poker is a worldwide sport that has been around the world for centuries and over the course of time, there emerged two most popular variants namely Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker that have been featured in the world’s most coveted series of all times such as the World Series of Poker and the European Poker Tour. So, which one should you play?
The rules of the game are quite similar, however, a player has to shift gear in the game when switching between the two. To abate all the confusion, let’s highlight the key similarities and differences between the two online poker variants right away.
- Texas Hold’em poker is played with two hole cards whereas Omaha poker is played with four hole cards.
- This means the probabilities of playing with bigger winning hands in Omaha poker becomes higher than in Hold’em which indicates the latter is a highly action paced game compared to the former.
- This further means that you need to switch between different strategies if you mean to understand both online poker variants
- The gameplay and the betting rounds in both online poker variants is the same- (pre-flop, flop, turn and the river)
- Both Texas Hold’em poker and Omaha poker can be played for different betting structures that includes limit, pot limit and no limit.
- Omaha poker features 2 more interesting variants, 5 Card PLO and Omaha Hi-Lo. In 5 Card PLO, you receive 5 hole cards instead of 2. In the latter, the one with the highest hand splits and shares the pot with the lowest qualifying low hand.
- When compared between the most readily played online poker variants of Hold’em and Omaha, Texas Hold’em poker features the easiest gameplay due to its simple rules and the higher probability of winning pots even with a good pair.
- Texas Hold’em unlike Omaha poker is a wide open game due to the existence of only 2 hole cards and that adds to its appeal among beginners who are just getting started.
Omaha v/s Poker: Where Can You Make Maximum Profit?
As someone who’s just getting started, a common question to ask would be which game is more profitable? Unfortunately, there is no definite answer for this. Success and profitability in any online poker variant depends on the current skill set, experience, game study and innate capability of the player.
Although, it would be safe to say that due to the less complex nature of Texas Hold’em poker, it would be relatively easier to make a decent profit with intermediate skillset at the tables of Hold’em.
In Omaha poker, you will normally witness two group of players- fun oriented and the veterans. While playing with the fun lot can acquire you decent money occasionally, competing against the veterans will ask for a lot more experience and game study on your part to make early profits.
So, due to the very same reason and easy play nature of Hold’em, most folks start their run with this simplest variation, thus making Texas Hold’em poker the most preferred and popular online poker variant among all.
Looking to Start Your Run? Try PokerBaazi
PokerBaazi, a real money skill gaming branch of the parent organization, Baazi Games is one of the leading poker portals that takes the responsibility to promote this excellent mind sport through a superb range of player centric games, tournaments, relentless promotions and even an eye-catching Loyalty Rewards Program to offer that extra edge to beginners for a solid run in the game.
Tournaments & Promotions to look forward on PokerBaazi
- Online cash games of a wide range of stakes for different online poker variants- Texas Hold’em poker, 4 Card PLO, 5 Card PLO and Open Face Chinese Poker
- Free entry tournaments worth 15LAC every month
- Micro stakes and low stakes daily and weekly poker tournaments for beginners
- “Cash Climb” promotion worth up to 8LAC cash prizes for online cash games of micro-high stakes is running till August end
- Separate 1 Crore Cash Bonanza leaderboard promotion running for cash games of different online poker variants
- Loyalty Rewards Program containing prizes worth up to 10,00,000 cash prizes as well as premium rewards like supercars, two wheelers, premium holiday packages such as Vegas Premium trip, Euro trip for 2, Macbook Pro, flagship phones and much more.
Online poker sites such as these are on a relentless run to promote the skill based mind game on the mainstream field of online gaming in India and offer opportunities to players of all stakes and calibre to take their rightful shot at poker stardom. As such, if card games have been your jam, there is no reason to miss out on this fascinating skill game today no matter your presumptions for either variant. Play both online poker variants and pursue the one that appeals to you the most.
All the best!