The Best Variants of Poker: Rules, Odds and Actual Profit

Poker variants online span an enormous range – from the globally dominant Texas Hold'em to the jackpot-driven Caribbean Stud. Each format has its own rules, math, and skill ceiling. This guide covers major poker types you will find at crypto casinos today. We will break down the rules, key hand combinations, winning odds, and payout structures, then cut to the question every player eventually asks: “Which poker type actually pays more?”

Poker Variants At a Glance: Side-by-Side Comparison

Before playing in crypto online casino and diving into the details, here's a snapshot of all the poker types covered in this article. Use it to find the format that fits your style before you commit to learning the full strategy.

* RTP figures are theoretical averages. Actual RTP in player-vs-player formats depends heavily on skill level. Casino-format poker (Caribbean Stud, Video Poker) uses fixed pay tables.

Texas Hold'em: The Poker Foundation, Rules, and Odds

Texas Hold'em is the world's most played poker variant online and offline. It's the format used in the Main Event of WSOP (World Series of Poker). Hold’em has driven in online crypto casinos and become natural entry point into serious poker for many gamblers.

Hold'em was invented in Robstown, Texas in the early 1900s and officially introduced to Las Vegas casinos in 1967 by Crandell Addington, Doyle Brunson, and a group of road gamblers. The 2003 'Moneymaker Effect' (named in honor to an amateur accountant who won the WSOP against professional players) triggered a global boom that moved poker into the mainstream.

How to Play Texas Hold'em Poker?

The player receives two private cards (hole cards). Five community cards are dealt face-up in three stages: the Flop (3 cards), the Turn (1 card), and the River (1 card). Players use any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards to form the best five-card hand. Betting occurs after each betting rounds:

• Blinds (Forced Bets): Before cards are dealt, the two players to the left of the dealer "post" the Small and Big Blinds to start the pot (in PvP formats).
• The Deal: Each player receives 2 private hole cards.
• Pre-flop round: Betting starts with the player to the left of the Big Blind. Players can fold, call, or raise.
• The Flop round: The dealer reveals 3 community cards face-up. A second round of betting begins.
• The Turn round: The 4th community card is revealed, followed by a third betting round.
• The River round: The final community card is revealed, leading to the final round.
• Showdown: If two or more players remain after the final bet, they reveal their hands. The best 5-card hand wins the pot.

Poker Hand Rankings and Combination Odds

Understanding which hands to chase is the core skill of Hold'em. The table below shows every hand from high card to royal flush, including exact probabilities across a 52-card deck:

* Probabilities are approximate and reflect 5-card hands from a full 52-card deck. In Hold'em, you form hands from 7 cards, which marginally increases the chance of hitting strong combos.

Fun Facts: A Pair or Two Pair are stronger than a High Card, but the mathematical probability of them falling is higher. As for a Straight, Hold'em allows you to use an Ace as a unit and get a combo of A, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Omaha and Short Deck: The Power Variants of Hold'em

Both Omaha and Short Deck trace their DNA directly to Texas Hold'em. In Omaha Hi, each player receives four hole cards instead of two. The critical rule: you must use exactly two hole cards and exactly three community cards to form your hand. It means the winning hand is much stronger than in Hold'em.

Short Deck Poker (6+) removes all cards ranked 2 through 5, leaving a 36-card deck. The compressed deck shifts hand rankings. In most Short Deck rule sets, a Flush beats a Full House (because flushes are harder to hit with fewer cards of each suit). Three of a Kind beats a Straight. And the overall hit frequency rises sharply – players connect with flops far more often, driving up action and pot sizes. It’s ideal for players who want faster, higher-variance sessions.

The Stud Poker Family: 7-Card Stud and Caribbean Stud

Stud poker was the game of choice in American card rooms. The Stud family differs fundamentally from Hold'em: there are no community cards. Each player builds a hand from cards dealt exclusively to them: some face-up (visible to opponents), some face-down (private).

7-Card Stud deals each player seven cards total over five betting rounds – three down, four up. You make the best five-card hand from your seven. No blinds. Instead, antes and a bring-in bet start the action. The player with the lowest upcard posts the bring-in on the first street. The information available at the table is far richer than in Hold'em because four of your opponents' seven cards are face-up. Skilled Stud players track which cards are dead (already folded), constantly recalculate outs, and use visible hands to put opponents on ranges.

Caribbean Stud takes the five-card Stud structure and transforms it into a solo casino table game. The main difference is that you play versus the dealer, not versus other players. You receive five cards, the dealer reveals one, and you decide to fold or raise.

Video Poker: 5-Card Draw and Aces & Faces

5-Card Draw is the original home-game poker format. Each player receives five cards and can replace any of them in a single round. In Live Casino, 5-card draw never had the drama of Stud or Hold'em. Digitized as Video Poker, it became one of the highest-RTP games in any casino.

Aces & Faces is a Video Poker variant built on the Jacks or Better framework, but with premium payouts for four-of-a-kind hands specifically involving Aces and face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings). The result is a game where the standard four-of-a-kind gap between regular cards and high-value cards creates a meaningful strategic shift.

Which Poker Type Actually Pays More?

• For raw RTP with zero skill, Video Poker (Aces & Faces, full-pay) wins outright at over 99%. No other format comes close to a pure theoretical return.
• For skill-based profit potential, Texas Hold'em and Omaha Hi are in a league of their own because you're playing against other players, not against a fixed house edge. A skilled player can maintain a long-term positive win rate. No fixed RTP figure applies – your profit ceiling is determined by the skill gap between you and your opponents.
• The Short Deck sits in the middle. Higher variance than Hold'em with a slightly lower theoretical RTP, but the compressed deck creates spots where edge-aware players can extract more per session than in a softer Hold'em game.
• 7-Card Stud rewards deep memory and observation skills. At games with weak opponents, skilled Stud players can generate strong win rates, but the game is less widely available on crypto platforms than Hold'em or Video Poker.

Therefore, if you want the highest guaranteed RTP, play Video Poker with a strategy chart. If you want unlimited upside through skill, try Texas Hold'em. If you want jackpot exposure with minimal strategic burden, Caribbean Stud's progressive bet is your tool.

Best Poker Games on BetFury: Top Picks by RTP

BetFury casino offers a wide selection of poker titles across multiple providers. Check out poker type games currently available on the platform with RTP values over 99%:

Poker Strategy: Tactics For Different Kinds of Poker

Strategy varies across poker variants online. Here’s a structured breakdown, starting with Hold'em as the foundation, then specific tactics for each other format.

Casino Hold'em: Core Strategic Principles

• Maximize Your Play Frequency: Unlike player-vs-player games where you might wait for a premium hand, the optimal strategy against a dealer is to call with nearly 82% of your hands. You should stay in with any Pair or any hand where your hole cards are higher than the cards on the Flop. Only fold the absolute weakest "bottom" hands (like a 7-2 offsuit) that have zero connection to the board.
• Leverage the Dealer Qualification Rule: Do not fold simply because your hand feels weak. In Hold’em, the dealer must have at least a Pair (or Ace-King) to qualify. If you stay in and the dealer fails to qualify, your Ante bet is paid out even if your own hand is lackluster, while your Call bet is returned as a push.
• Focus on the Main Bet for Better Returns: While side bets like the "AA Bonus" or "Trips" offer enticing high-volatility payouts, they typically carry a higher house edge. The high RTP of approximately 97% to 99% in popular versions from Pragmatic or Evoplay applies specifically to the Ante/Call structure. To protect your bankroll and maintain the best odds, use side bets sparingly or skip them entirely.

Short Deck Strategy Tips

In high-action variants like Short Deck, you should fundamentally recalibrate your understanding of hand hierarchies. Because the lower cards are removed, Flushes are mathematically rarer and thus beat Full Houses, while Three of a Kind often trumps a Straight. When playing solo against the dealer in this format, you should aggressively play Pairs that might otherwise be folded, as the condensed deck creates much higher board connectivity.

Caribbean Stud: Optimal Play In 2 Rules

Always raise when holding a Pair, Two Pair, trips, or better. Raise Ace-King if your remaining three cards include a card matching the dealer's upcard, or if you hold an Ace/King matching the dealer's upcard. Moreover, skip the progressive side bet as a default. The progressive jackpot side bet carries a house edge of 25-50%+ at most tables unless the jackpot exceeds a specific threshold. It's entertainment value, not expected value.

Video Poker (Aces & Faces): The Strategy Card Approach

The Royal Flush pays 800x at max bet vs 250x at one coin. The expected value math always favours max bet – reduce your coin size if needed, but never play less than five coins. Besides, use a strategy card. Aces & Faces optimal strategy involves hundreds of specific hold decisions.

Conclusion: Match the Poker Variant to Your Goal

Major kinds of poker online rewards a different kind of player. Casino Hold'em is a classic poker variation with a huge number of tactics. Short Deck accelerates that same dynamic with higher variance and a steeper learning curve. Caribbean Stud trades skill for simplicity and jackpot potential, making it the natural starting point for casual players. Video Poker, especially Aces & Faces, delivers the highest guaranteed RTP of any format in the online casino, provided you apply optimal strategy.

The smartest approach is to learn the basics of Casino Hold'em first, develop your hand-reading instincts, then try the formats that appeal to your style. Most of them are presented in BetFury's Table Games category – start where you're comfortable and build from there.

FAQ About Online Poker Variants

1. How many types of poker are there?
   There are over 100 types of poker, primarily divided into four categories: Community Card, Stud, Draw, and Video Poker. While rules vary across these formats, they all share a core foundation of hand rankings and betting structures.
2. What poker variant has the best RTP online?
   Aces & Faces video poker holds the highest theoretical RTP. But we have provided many other poker titles with the high RTP above.
3. Is Casino Hold'em good for beginners?
   Yes. Hold'em has the broadest learning resources of any poker variant online. Beginners should start with small bets, focus on preflop hand selection, etc. The fundamentals are learnable within a few weeks of consistent play.
4. Is Caribbean Stud poker worth playing in a crypto casino?
   Caribbean Stud offers accessible, beginner-friendly gameplay with a clear payout structure and a high RTP. It's worth playing if you enjoy solo casino-format poker or want jackpot exposure.
5. Can I play poker with crypto on BetFury?
   Yes. BetFury supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, USDT, and other cryptocurrencies across all poker table games and video poker titles. Deposits are instant, withdrawals are fast, and select games offer provably fair verification.