Popular Poker Games

At VIParabclub you'll have access to a wide range of poker games, including the most popular games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha and much more. In each format you can decide if you want to play online poker for real money or online poker for free.

Basic rules of Texas Hold'em with simple steps

At the start of each hand, each player is dealt two cards (face down). Whoever makes the best 5-card hand wins, using their 2 hand cards and their 5 so-called “table cards”. The 5 revealed cards are made up of 3 cards on the flop, one on the turn and one on the river.

In the game, there are 4 betting rounds, each of which players have the option to check, call, bet, raise or fold.

Poker hand ranking

Poker is a thinking game with some element of luck, but neither thinking or luck will be helpful if you are not familiar with the possible hands ranking. In the end whoever makes the strongest 5-card hand possible is the winner. Players can use the 2 hand cards along with 3 of the 5 table cards (available to all players).  Consult our page of Poker Rules for a more extensive explanation on the ranking.

Positions at the table

In Texas Hold'em Poker there are 3 basic table rankings you need to know. At a 9-player table, these are: early position, middle position and late position. In early position, you have the small blind, the big blind and the under-the-gun (UTG, position immediately before the blinds). Next are the three seats in the middle position, which have no specific rating.

The final position seats are the Dealer and the two seats to his right. Small and big blinds are mandatory bets on each hand and each player must pay them once during the initial betting round, even if they don't proceed into the hand in the game sequence.

Preflop action 

All players are dealt 2 hand cards in the pre-flop round (before the first 3 cards on the table, called the flop, are opened). Only one player can play at a time, starting with the player to the left of the big blind. The player in the UTG position (immediately before the blinds) can fold (not play the hand), call (a previous bet or raise) or raise (the current bet size). The game proceeds clockwise around the table and each player has the same options available. If there is no previous raise, the big blind can also check. After all players have played, and the pot has been paid, the betting round ends.

Post-flop action 

As soon as the pre-flop betting round ends, post-flop action begins. It starts with three cards being turned over (flop). Betting options and rules are pretty much the same as pre-flop. Players can check, bet, call, fold or raise, depending on the position occupied and any previous action. The first player to play post-flop is the one to the Dealer's left.

Post turn action

After all players have played post-flop, the next card to be turned over is the turn. This betting round has the same rules and options as the previous ones (check, bet, call, raise or fold). 

Post river action

The next card to be turned over is called the river. In all previous betting rounds, you have been able to improve your hand, but this round is different from the others. The river is the fifth and final card, and players still have the same options as in previous rounds. The next step is the most exciting, and you will need to know how to control your emotions!

Showdown, the moment of truth

The showdown is the so-called moment of truth, one of the most exciting parts of the game. In this decisive phase we have more than one player in the pot and there are no more betting rounds left. The player with the strongest hand will be the winner (see hand ranking at poker rules), and must show their cards to take the chips. The one with the best hand takes it all! 

Ready for a new round?

After the showdown is set, that hand comes to an end. The game goes on, and one more hand will be dealt immediately. It's another chance to win a good pot with new cards in hand. With each hand played, you will have more experience and more desire to win.

You never know: one of those hands could change the game in your favor!

Exciting variations

Now that you are already familiar with Texas Hold'em, the most popular variation in online poker games and also the style that is played in championships in Las Vegas, we will show you three different ways it can be played: 

Limit Hold'em: The bet is set before the start of the game and is limited.

Pot Limit Hold'em: It is possible to increase the bet, but only up to the maximum amount of what is already in the pot (sum of the amounts bet by the players during a hand).

No Limit Hold'em: You can bet all your chips at any time, the famous all-in.

Other popular online poker games

Closed Poker: It is one of the oldest forms of Poker and also considered one of the simplest. With a 5-card draw, it is similar to Texas Hold'em, but the ranking of the hands is different and at the beginning of the rounds there are blind and fold variants.

Omaha: Popular in France, it differs from Texas Hold'em in that it deals four hand cards for each player. However, at the end of the game, you must have five cards, two cards out of the player's four, plus three cards out of the five on the table.

Omaha High-Low: This is the same as Omaha, except that at the end, the chips are split into two parts: one half for the best play (“High”) and the other half for the worst (“Low”).

7-Card Stud: Unlike Hold'em and Omaha, in Stud, uncovered cards are not common to players and are not placed in the center of the table. Each player has their cards in front of them. The game starts with the player being dealt three cards: two hand cards and one open card, which is visible to everyone at the table. The first round of betting begins and then an over-card (the fourth) is dealt face up to each player who stayed in the round. A second round begins, then a fifth card is dealt, always faced up. Third round, then sixth card. Fourth and final round, and a seventh card is dealt, but this one is closed. In conclusion: each player has seven cards, four of which are open. Whoever has the highest five-card game out of seven cards wins the game.

Stud High-Low: Same reasoning as in Omaha High-Low, meaning the worst game splits the chips with the best.