Hold'em Poker Games - HomePokerEdge.com

HOLD 'EM POKER GAMES

HOLD 'EM POKER GAMES
HomePokerEdge.com has assembled an extensive collection of Texas Hold'em poker game variations designed to keep your dealer's choice home poker game lively and interesting. In addition to explaining how to play each game, we provide valuable playing tips and insight on how to win for many of these unique Hold'em poker game varieties.

The HomePokerEdge.com staff has played most of these games and are confident you will find them realistic, challenging and fun to play. Give some a try at your next home poker game.

Descriptions and instructions provided assume you already know how to play Texas Hold'em and other basic poker games. Should you have questions or want to know more about any of these games, let us know via our Contact HPE page and we will be happy to respond.

The Dealer's choice poker games on this page are based on Texas Hold 'em, but there are lots of other games, too:

Stud Poker Games
Draw Poker Games
Omaha Poker Games
Wild Card Poker Games
Other (non-poker) Games

Most of the games described may be played as high-low split. Playing high-low split poker games introduces many additional factors that must be considered. See our High-Low Poker Guide for exclusive playing tips, hand odds or probabilities and much more information you will need to play high-low spilt poker games.

We are constantly on the lookout for new games. If you have your own favorite dealer's choice poker game variation you'd like to share, please send it to us.

TEXAS 2-STEP DRAW
Texas Hold'em with the opportunity to draw to replace hole cards. Begin by dealing 2 hole cards to each player. After the first betting round, but before the flop each active player may discard and draw up to 2 cards. After the flop and that betting round each active player may discard and draw up to 1 card.

SLOW WALK TO TEXAS
Deal 2 hole cards to each player. Reveal the 5 community board cards one at a time. The first betting round occurs after the first community board card is revealed. Further betting rounds occur after each additional card is revealed. This method of revealing the community cards results in an additional (5th) round of betting. As in Texas Hold'em, players make their hand using any 5 cards from among their 2 hole cards and the 5 community cards.

TEXAS DOUBLE CROSS
Played like Texas Hold'em. Deal each player 2 hole cards. The board cards are placed face down and consist of 9 cards arranged in a cross shape with 5 vertical cards and 5 horizontal cards. Reveal the 4 outer cards (1, 4, 5, 8), then the single middle card (M) and lastly the 4 inner cards (2, 3, 6, 7) with a round of betting between. Players make their hand by using any 5 cards taken from their hole cards plus cards from either the vertical row (12M34) or horizontal row (56M78).

1
2
5 6 M 7 8
3
4

SHORT DECK HOLD'EM
Played exactly like Texas Hold 'em but with a deck from which the 2's, 3's, 4's and 5's have been removed leaving 36 cards. Concentrating the deck results in hand values that rise considerably. Mathematical probabilities also change, resulting in hand rankings that differ from full deck poker and are detailed and explained on the Playing Tips page.
Playing Tips for Short Deck Hold 'em. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand rankings and more.

COUNT DOWN HOLD EM
Deal 5 hole cards to each player. Bet and reveal flop, turn and river exactly like Texas Hold'em. After the flop is revealed each player must discard 1 of their hole cards leaving them with 4. After the turn each player discards 1 hole card leaving them with 3. After the river each player discards 1 hole card leaving them with 2 cards. As with Texas Hold em, players may use both, 1 or none of their hole cards to make their hand.
Variation of Countdown Hold'em: Try this variation to introduce a bit of uncertainty into the game. Discard 1 card before the flop, 1 card after the flop and 1 card after the turn.

DOUBLE TEXAS HOLD 'EM (High Only)
Played exactly like Texas hold'em except that there are two sets of board cards. Expose the flops, turns and rivers of each set of board cards at the same time. The highest hand on each board split the pot. Can be played as "cards speak" or with a declaration as to which board(s) a player is using for his hand.

DOUBLE TEXAS HOLD 'EM - HIGH-LOW
High-low version of Double Texas Holdem. As in that game there are two sets of board cards. The best high hand and best low hand split the pot. Either set can be used for the high hand or low hand. May also be played with requirement that low is 8 or better. If there is no qualifying low hand, the highest hand wins the entire pot.

SUPER HOLD 'EM
Played exactly like Texas Hold'em except that each player is dealt 3 hole cards. Use 1, 2 or all 3 of the hole cards along with the cards on the board to make your hand.

MEGA HOLD 'EM
Deal 5 cards face down to each player. Play identically to Texas Hold 'em. Players make their hand using any combination of 5 cards from their hand and from the board. i.e 1 hole card & 4 board cards; 2 hole cards & 3 board cards, 3 hole cards & 2 board cards; 4 hole cards & 1 board card; 5 hole cards & no board cards.

REVERSE HOLD 'EM
Play this game just like Texas Hold 'em, but reverse the order in which the board cards are revealed. The flop and turn will be one card each, with the river being the remaining 3 cards.

DOUBLE HANDED HOLD 'EM (Double Hole Hold 'em)
Played exactly like Texas hold'em except that each player receives two sets of hole cards. Each set of hole cards is played and bet separately. For example, a player may bet one of his sets and fold the other. In order to keep both (e.g to see the flop) each set of hole cards must bet.

RED RIVER HOLD'EM
Red River is played exactly like Texas Hold'em with this exception: If the river card is a red card (heart or diamond) an additional river card (6th board card) will be dealt. If that card is red, another river card (7th board card) is dealt. This continues until a black (club or spade) card is dealt. A round of betting occurs between each additional card.
Red River Hold'Em can also be played as Pineapple or other Hold 'Em variations on this page.

PINEAPPLE
Pineapple Poker is played like Texas Hold'Em with one twist: Deal 3 cards down to each player instead of 2. Before any other action each player must discard 1 card leaving them with two cards. Other than initially receiving 3 cards Pineapple is played with all the same rules and procedures as Hold 'Em.
Playing Tips for Pineapple Poker: Includes detailed playing instructions, starting hand selection, pre and post flop strategy and more.

CRAZY PINEAPPLE
Played as Texas Hold Em, but each player is dealt 3 hole cards instead of 2. After the flop each player must discard one hole card. Play then continues exactly like Texas hold'em. Players make their hand from any combination of the 5 board cards and their 2 hole cards.

TWICE BAKED PINEAPPLE
Played exactly like either Pineapple or Crazy Pineapple except that there are two sets of board cards. Expose the flops, turns and rivers of each set of board cards at the same time. The highest hand on each board split the pot. Can be played as "cards speak" or with a declaration as to which board(s) a player is using for his hand.

TWICE BAKED PINEAPPLE - HIGH-LOW
High-low split version of Twice Baked Pineapple. As in that game there are two sets of board cards but it is the best high hand and best low hand that split the pot. Expose the flops, turns and rivers of each set of board cards at the same time. Either set can be used for the high hand or low hand. May also be played with requirement that low is 8 or better. If there is no qualifying low hand, the highest hand wins the entire pot.

PICKED PINEAPPLE
Deal 3 cards down to each player. Before any betting each player must discard one hole card face down in the middle of the table. These cards are shuffled or mixed together. Five of these discarded cards are drawn and used as the flop, turn and river. Play continues exactly like Hold 'Em. May be played high, high-low split or high-low eight or better.

HOT PINEAPPLE
Deal 4 cards down to each player. Before any betting each player must discard one hole card face down in the middle of the table. These cards are shuffled or mixed together. 5 of these discarded cards are drawn and used as the flop, turn and river. Play continues exactly like Pineapple or Crazy Pineapple with each player discarding (mucking) 1 of their remaining 3 hole cards either before the flop (Pineapple) or after the flop (Crazy Pineapple).

DOUBLE HOT PINEAPPLE
Deal 5 cards face down to each player. Before any betting each player must discard 2 cards face down in the middle of the table. These "hot" discarded cards are shuffled or mixed together and they are used for the flops, turns and rivers to create 2 sets of board cards. Play continues exactly like Twice Baked Pineapple or Twice Baked Pineapple High-Low with each discarding (mucking) 1 of their remaining 3 hole cards before the flop. Deal the flop, turn and river in each set at the same time.

HOT & COLD PINEAPPLE
Played like Texas Hold Em with this twist: Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Before any betting each player must discard one hole card face down in the middle of the table. These "hot" cards are shuffled or mixed together. After a round of betting, 3 of these discarded cards are drawn for the flop. Immediately after the flop each player must discard (muck) 1 hole card leaving them with 2. Play continues with the turn and river cards being dealt from the "cold" remaining deck. As in Texas Hold 'em, players may make their hand from any combination of the 5 board cards and their 2 hole cards.

DOUBLE HOT & COLD PINEAPPLE
Played exactly like Hot & Cold Pineapple except there are two sets of board cards. Start by dealing 4 cards down to each player. Before any other action each player must discard one hole card face down in the middle of the table. These cards are shuffled or mixed together. Two 5 card sets of board cards are arranged as follows:
Set #1: The 3 flop cards are drawn from the discarded ("hot") cards. The turn and river cards are dealt from the remaining deck ("cold" cards).
Set #2: The 3 flop cards are dealt from the remaining deck ("cold" cards). The turn an river cards are drawn from the discarded ("hot") cards.
Immediately after the flop each player must discard (muck) 1 more hole card leaving them with 2.
Players may use either set of board cards to make their hand. The single highest and single lowest hands split the pot. Deal the flop, turn and river in each set at the same time.

PASS THE PINEAPPLE
Played as Texas Hold em, but with these differences. Start by dealing each player 3 hole cards instead of 2. Prior to the flop, and after a round of betting, each player must pass 1 hole card to the player on their right. After the flop each player then must discard 1 hole card leaving them with 2 hole cards. Play then continues exactly like Texas Hold em.

CRAZY PINEAPPLE WITH REPLACEMENT
Played exactly like Crazy Pineapple with this one exception: After the river card has been exposed each player has the option to replace one of his hole cards for a pre-determined fee. Suggested fee is 2-4 times the upper betting limit. The player must first discard a hole card and is then dealt the replacement from the deck.

4 CARD PINEAPPLE
Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Before play, each player must discard one of those cards, leaving them with 3 cards. After the flop, each player must discard another card, leaving them with 2 hole cards. Play then continues as Texas Hold em.

DRAW POKER GAMES

OMAHA POKER GAMES

STUD POKER GAMES

WILD CARD POKER GAMES