Poker is not just Texas Hold’em or Omaha. The poker universe is way bigger and more colorful than that. Many unique poker variants have developed over the years, offering new challenges, bold strategies, and plenty of wild moments.
With its own set of rules and strategies, each variant offers something new—a twist that redefines how we think about poker.
Below is a comprehensive guide to each game, including how to play, the rules, and what makes each variant special.
Follow the Queen
Game Type: Seven Card Stud variant
Number of Players: 3 to 8
In Follow the Queen, wild cards are determined dynamically during the deal. The game is played like Seven Card Stud, where each player is dealt seven cards: three face down and four face up, with betting rounds in between.
The key twist is whenever a Queen is dealt face-up, the immediately following face-up card becomes wild for everyone. If another Queen appears later, the new card following that Queen replaces the old wild card. If the last Queen dealt is the final face-up card, there are no wilds at all.
This variation keeps players on their toes, since the wild card can change mid-hand, affecting hand values dramatically.
Anaconda (a.k.a. Pass the Trash)
Game Type: Draw and Pass variant
Number of Players: 4 to 8
Anaconda is an entertaining and often unpredictable game where players pass cards around the table before forming their best hand.
Each player is dealt seven cards. In three phases, players will pass cards to their neighbors:
- First, each player chooses three cards to pass to the left.
- Then, they pass two cards to the right.
- Finally, they pass one card to the left.
After the passing is complete, each player selects the best five-card hand they can make from their remaining cards. A betting round follows, and then players reveal their hands.
Optional variations include allowing betting rounds between each pass. In this version, players must anticipate what kinds of hands are being built or broken down through the passing process.
Guts
Game Type: High-stakes declaration game
Number of Players: 2 to 6
Guts is a high-risk, high-reward game that focuses on simple hands and bold decision-making. Each player is dealt two or three cards face down (depending on the version being played).
After examining their hand, players simultaneously declare whether they are “in” or “out” of the round, often by holding a chip or touching a card.
If only one player is “in”, they win the pot uncontested. However, if multiple players are “in”, then all players reveal their hands, and the best hand wins the pot. All losing players who declared “in” must match the size of the pot for the next round, which can make the pot grow quickly.
The game continues until all but one player folds or loses. This variant is notorious for escalating stakes and is often used in elimination-style poker nights or home game finales.
Chinese Poker
Game Type: Hand-setting strategy game
Number of Players: 2 to 4
In Chinese Poker, players receive 13 cards each and must divide them into three poker hands:
- The back hand (5 cards) – the strongest of the three.
- The middle hand (5 cards) – must be weaker than the back.
- The front hand (3 cards) – must be the weakest.
Once all players have set their hands (usually face down and then revealed simultaneously), hands are compared across corresponding rows. One point is awarded for winning each row against each opponent, with bonuses given for strong hands like full houses or straight flushes.
The main challenge in Chinese Poker lies in balancing the strength across three hands. Players must avoid ‘fouling’, which occurs if the front hand is stronger than the middle, or the middle is stronger than the back—resulting in an automatic loss.
Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFC)
Game Type: Progressive hand-building variant of Chinese Poker
Number of Players: 2 to 4
Open-Face Chinese Poker is a newer and more complex version of Chinese Poker. Players start with 5 cards and place them face up in their three rows (front, middle, and back). Then, one card at a time is dealt to each player until everyone has placed 13 cards.
Players must decide where to place each new card as they receive it, and once placed, it cannot be moved. If the hand is not set in the correct order (front < middle < back), the player fouls and earns zero points.
A special feature of OFC is Fantasyland, which allows a player who places QQ or better in the front hand (without fouling) to be dealt all 13 cards face down in the next round, giving them a huge strategic edge.
High Chicago
Game Type: Stud-based split pot
Number of Players: 3 to 8
High Chicago is typically played like Seven Card Stud, with players receiving a mix of face-up and face-down cards over multiple betting rounds.
At showdown, the pot is split:
- Half goes to the best traditional 5-card poker hand.
- Half goes to the player with the highest spade face down (i.e., not visible to others).
This variant introduces a hidden side-pot competition, which makes the face-down cards more mysterious and the pot harder to predict. A player with a bad visible hand might still be holding the winning spade, adding tension and surprise to the reveal.
Low Chicago
Same format as High Chicago, but instead of the highest spade, the lowest spade face down wins half the pot. All other rules remain the same.
This variation tends to reward hands with low-value cards, and players must consider both the traditional hand strength and the hidden potential of low spade holdings.
Countdown Poker
Game Type: Draw-elimination variant
Number of Players: 2 to 6
In Countdown Poker, each player starts with a standard 5-card hand. After each betting round, players must discard one card, proceeding to the next round with fewer cards.
This continues until players are left with a single card, which is then revealed. The highest card wins (or lowest if playing lowball).
Countdown Poker combines betting pressure with hand preservation strategy—knowing when to discard your strong cards or hold onto a specific suit or rank for the final round can make or break the game.
Kuhn Poker
Game Type: Game theory mini-poker
Number of Players: 2
Deck: 3 cards (King, Queen, and Jack)
Kuhn Poker was developed for academic research and game theory analysis. Each player is dealt 1 card face down, and there’s a single betting round. The player with the higher card wins if the bet is called.
Despite its simplicity, Kuhn Poker demonstrates core poker principles like bluffing, mixed strategies, and expected value. It’s often used as an introductory model to teach poker theory, especially around equilibrium and optimal play.
Five-O Poker
Game Type: Multi-hand head-to-head
Number of Players: 2
In Five-O Poker, each player plays five separate 5-card hands simultaneously. Players are dealt one card at a time to each hand, alternating until all five hands have five cards.
Once the hands are complete, there is one round of betting. After betting, players reveal their hands, and the winner is the player who wins at least three out of five hands.
This variant challenges players to balance their strength across multiple hands, distributing strong cards strategically rather than stacking one monster hand.
The above-mentioned games are perfect for home games, mixed format tournaments, or just breaking the monotony of traditional styles. Exploring these formats can broaden your understanding of poker as a whole, sharpen your decision-making skills, and most importantly, keep the game fresh and exciting.
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