Texas Hold’em is a commonly played poker variant that has grown in popularity, especially at non-GamStop casinos in 2025. However, there are other popular poker variations to tickle your fancy. Our guide shares the most popular poker variants played at online casinos.
Popular Poker Variants to Try Out in 2025
Here are the most popular variants chosen by gamblers at online gambling platforms in 2025:
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is the most popular card game worldwide, played by over 100 million online poker players, according to the World Poker Tour data. It’s popularised due to its simple rules, deep strategic depth, and suspense.
The game starts with each player dealt two cards face down, and five community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table that everyone can use to make the best five-card poker hand. The game starts with four betting rounds, with no betting limits, which adds more excitement to the game. It is a high-strategy game that rewards disciplined and thoughtful play.
Recognised by nearly every poker world figure as the gold standard of competitive play, Texas Hold’em remains a favourite due to its mix of psychology, probability, and skill-driven outcomes. This reputation is reinforced by its presence in major tournaments like the WSOP, where strategic mastery in Texas Hold’em often defines poker greatness.
Omaha
Another close competitor to Texas Hold’em is Omaha. It is similar to Texas Hold’em, but you’re dealt four cards in Omaha rather than two. It still comes with four betting rounds and five community cards face-up in the middle of the table. However, players must use two cards and three from the board.
It’s known for its high-action gameplay, and it's much easier to make big hands, such as straights and flushes, than in Hold’em. Most times, it’s played as a pot limit game compared to Texas Hold’em, which runs mostly as a No Limit game.
Seven Card Stud
7-card stud is a popular stud variant of poker that can feature up to eight players. The game's objective is winning the pot, which contains all the bets the players have made in any deal. A player makes a bet in hopes they have the best pot, which gives the impression that they do.
Each player receives two cards face down and one face up, dealt one at a time in rotation. The main challenge is tracking your opponents’ exposed cards, and learning poker strategies for beginners can make it easier to interpret those patterns. Many call it a game of patience and observation with an immense strategic depth.
Five Card Draw
Five-card draw is a simple and beginner-friendly poker variant. It starts with five cards drawn, where each player must put forward a specified ante in the form of chips. The main objective is to make the strongest five-card hand. A maximum of six players can join the game.
The standard poker hand rankings apply similarly to 5-card draw, as they are the same in other variants like Texas Hold’em. Success playing this variant starts with understanding hand rankings.
Honourable Mentions: Other Popular Variants
Apart from the popular variants, there are other underrated variants that deserve your attention:
Razz
Razz is a variant of Seven Card Stud with a unique twist on traditional poker. Unlike other variants where players try to make the highest hand, the goal is to create the lowest possible five-card hand.
Short Deck Poker
This is another Texas Hold’em variant, 6+ Hold’em. All cards ranked five and below are removed from the deck. It leaves a 36-card deck that starts from sixes up to aces.
Why Are These Poker Variants So Popular?
Poker games are enjoyed for various reasons. They offer a strategic challenge, an element of psychology, and they can be played as a skill game or simply just for fun. That attracts players of all skill levels, from novices to established pros. Gamers are attracted by new challenges, try out new techniques, and even get opportunities to play better poker.
The strategy can range from the real complex variants, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Moreover, new variants such as Short Deck Poker are gaining traction simply due to their different gameplay. How it removes low cards from the deck makes it interesting for new players to try.
How to Choose the Right Poker Variant for You
The gambling scene is popping with new variants to try out. But which one suits your gameplay? Do you want the traditional variant or a modern one? Most beginners prefer Texas Hold’em as an ideal starting point to their poker journey. It comes with a simple structure, forming a fundamental foundation for later understanding other variants.
Serious players tend to shift towards Omaha since this game is known to be a high-variance game with a large number of combinations. Others that play a more strategic game would tend to utilize Seven Card Stud, which is more of a cerebral game.
