Online Poker

Poker games have been enjoyed in both land-based and online casinos for decades. With the introduction of smartphones and laptops, poker lovers can play their favorite games from any part of the world.
Although the game started in 2000 in chat rooms as a recreational but the advancement in technology led to the introduction of real money casino sites. Thus, you can choose to play online poker for fun or for real money. The main reason why this game is very popular today is that it is fun to play, easy and thrilling.
Moreover, it is offered by almost all New Zealand reputable online casino sites. As a matter of fact, New Zealand has produced some of the best players in the recent Poker Tours like Danny ‘Brotha D’Leaosavaii and others. The number of online casinos offering players with this games is on the rise. There are different varieties of online poker games available today with Texas Hold Em Poker leading the way. Nevertheless, before you play any casino game, it is important to understand the basic rules.

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Basic Rules of Online Poker

Despite being simple and easy to play, you need to understand some basic rules of Poker before you get started. Remember, in games like Texas Hold Em, every player is dealt two cards face down which is followed by a number of betting rounds. The main actions to be undertaken by a player are:
Pre-Flop: After the hole cards are dealt, the player can either choose to play or raise the big blind. The player can fold, raise or call.
The Flop: Player are dealt each with three cards face up and betting goes in a clockwise direction.
The Turn: The turn or fourth street follows the flop and all cards are dealt face up on the board.
The River: This is the fina community card in Texas Hold’em and is dealt face-up. The same betting rules in the flop and turn are applicable here.
⦁ The Showdown: The showdown occurs after betting has been concluded. If more than one player is remaining, the best five card poker hands are compared and the winner declared.

Different Variations of Online Poker

New Zealand online poker fans have a wide selection of varieties from which to choose. These games are available in both poker tournaments and online casino sites. The best way to enjoy playing online poker is by testing different variations. This will give you not only extensive experience but also numerous opportunities to win big. Nevertheless, most online poker games fall into one of three major categories: Stud, Draw, or Community Card.

  • Stud poker is the most common poker game. It is usually five or seven card stud.
  • Draw poker is a five-card draw in which players receive a full hand facedown.
  • Community Card poker, the most popular variants are Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha. These games use shared cards, which are dealt face up, and a number of facedown cards.

Here are the main types of online Poker variations:

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker

This is the most popular poker variation and is played in the World Series of Poker tournaments. Texas Hold ‘Em poker players are dealt two hole cards. The game is always played at a six- to nine-handed table but with fewer seats. Betting occurs in four rounds, i.e. after the first three hole cards are dealt after the community cards are exposed, and, finally, after the fourth community card is dealt.

Omaha

There are many similarities between Omaha and Texas Hold ‘Em Poker. In fact, Omaha is the second most popular casino game among online poker enthusiasts. Most New Zealand online casinos offer two main versions of Omaha: Omaha Hi and Omaha Lo. One should learn how to play Omaha Hi because it is simple and action-packed.

Seven-Card Stud Poker

Another popular online poker variation is Seven-Card Stud poker. In this game, each player is dealt seven cards, three of which are facedown and four of which are face up. The goal is to make the best possible five-card hand from these seven cards. This variation gives the player more information to work with than do other poker variations.

Razz

This online poker variation might not be as popular as those mentioned above, but  many New Zealand online punters still enjoy it. Although the game is a little confusing at first, the rules are easy to follow. The goal of this poker variation game is to make the best five-card low hand from the seven dealt cards.

Five-Card Draw Poker

As the name suggests, in Five-Card Draw poker, each player is dealt five cards. However, the player can trade in as many as three cards. This poker variation has simple rules and requires less strategy to win. It is very popular. Players from New Zealand can choose to play it for fun or real money.

Chinese Poker

This is a newer type of poker game in which players draw cards from a single deck with the aim of making the best possible winning hand. Unlike in other variations, which are played in rounds, Chinese Poker rewards points. Once all the rounds are done, players arrange 13 cards in three groups: the top group, middle group, and bottom group.

Different Online Poker Playing Options

Today, the game of online poker offers different options. You can  participate in either online poker tournaments or sit-and-go poker games.

Poker Tournaments

These are among the most amazing casino games on the market. They give players the opportunity to win enormous prizes of up to $10 million. Nonetheless, it is important to review any poker tournament before you join it. Some of the factors to consider include the format variety, the number of huge guarantees, the speed of the poker client, the tournament’s starting time, the variety of tournament buy-ins, and the number of available tournaments.

Main Poker Tournament Formats

Just as there are different online poker variants, so too are there different online poker tournament formats. Common poker tournament formats include:

  • Multi-/Single-Table Format; each player receives a number of chips and the winner is the last person in possession of chips.
  • Sit-and-Go Tournament; this is more like multi-/single-hand poker but is short-term.
  • Shootouts Format; this consists of a series of single-table satellites where the winner moves to the next level.
  • Turbo Format; these tournaments include shorter blind rounds as well as lower starting chips.
  • The Bottom Line

Although online poker was invented less than two decades ago, the game has gained popularity in the iGaming industry. This has prompted many online casino operators to offer different variations of online poker. Besides being easy and fun, online poker has some of the biggest tournaments in which you can play and win big prizes. The online casino sites we have listed below offer popular online poker variations like Caribbean and Texas Hold ‘Em.