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No limit holdem is boring to me. It's not a bad game, but I usually don't care for it unless I'm playing for profit. I know a thing or two about pokers so check this out:
The most difficult to play game rotation I've seen is a 5 game draw poker mix. If you're a fan of mixed games, you might enjoy this. And if you dislike razz as much as me, you'll love it over HORSE.
All games are played NL single draw, meaning you get one draw. Max players are six, but you can play with more if you hate yourself and like reshuffling discards. I recommend no more than 6 for a quality game. This rotation also plays well heads up. All games play with a button and rotating small and big blinds to the left (like holdem).
The rotation is this:
1. Draw high
2. 2-7 draw
3. Badugi
4. Kicker
5. Baduci
If you're a limit kind of guy, change draw high for Ace to five lowball, and play all the games triple draw limit. Draw high is not very fun with more than one draw.
Kicker is the only game I cannot find a ready description of the rules online, so I'll detail it here.
Players are dealt five cards, there is a round of betting. They may then draw up to five cards, and there is another round of betting, and then a showdown.
Hands are read inverse of draw high, like this: when in draw high, your first judge of hand strength is your made hand, and the tie breaker is your kickers, in Kicker, the first judge of strength is your kickers and after that, your made hand.
Examples: if your final hand is 4 4 A K 10, you are playing an Ace King Ten, with 4s. This hand would beat A J 6 Q Q, as the latter would play Ace Jack Six, with Queens. AK10 is higher than AJ6, so the former wins. The first hand (44ak10) would lose to a hand such as 2 2 A K Q. In the event of a tie from the first judgement, in two hands such as A J 8 5 5 and A J 8 9 9, both hands are playing Ace Jack Eight, but the nines out"kick" the fives.
More Examples: In a hand without a pair or other made hand (high card) such as A Q 8 6 4 your high card (ace) plays as your made hand, and the leftover cards play as your kickers. So this hand is read: Queen Eight Six Four, with high card Ace. (note that the number of kickers played is not important [as in badugi, where they number of cards played is the first judge of strength] excepting identical kickers, where AK555 would lose to AK244, the former playing ace king, and the latter playing ace king deuce).
Even More Examples: Straights play NO kickers, and can only beat a lower straight. Flushes are ALL kickers, so you play all five cards up front (but remember, number of kickers is not always important, and if you have a 7 high flush, you probably have a bad hand). Full houses are no kickers, two pairs only play one (careful not to pair your highest card, this can really counterfeit your hand!), trips play two kickers, and quads play one. A straight flush or royal flush is a tragedy, as they both play no kickers. This makes the nuts of the game Ace King Queen Jack Nine suited, and the nut low the wheel (ace to five straight).
I'll take questions, but playing it helps a lot with catching on.
As for Baduci, there are varied rules, but I prefer max draw 4, and OFFICIALLY aces are LOW for the badugi half.
If you're not REALLY into poker, this might have been thick.
The most difficult to play game rotation I've seen is a 5 game draw poker mix. If you're a fan of mixed games, you might enjoy this. And if you dislike razz as much as me, you'll love it over HORSE.
All games are played NL single draw, meaning you get one draw. Max players are six, but you can play with more if you hate yourself and like reshuffling discards. I recommend no more than 6 for a quality game. This rotation also plays well heads up. All games play with a button and rotating small and big blinds to the left (like holdem).
The rotation is this:
1. Draw high
2. 2-7 draw
3. Badugi
4. Kicker
5. Baduci
If you're a limit kind of guy, change draw high for Ace to five lowball, and play all the games triple draw limit. Draw high is not very fun with more than one draw.
Kicker is the only game I cannot find a ready description of the rules online, so I'll detail it here.
Players are dealt five cards, there is a round of betting. They may then draw up to five cards, and there is another round of betting, and then a showdown.
Hands are read inverse of draw high, like this: when in draw high, your first judge of hand strength is your made hand, and the tie breaker is your kickers, in Kicker, the first judge of strength is your kickers and after that, your made hand.
Examples: if your final hand is 4 4 A K 10, you are playing an Ace King Ten, with 4s. This hand would beat A J 6 Q Q, as the latter would play Ace Jack Six, with Queens. AK10 is higher than AJ6, so the former wins. The first hand (44ak10) would lose to a hand such as 2 2 A K Q. In the event of a tie from the first judgement, in two hands such as A J 8 5 5 and A J 8 9 9, both hands are playing Ace Jack Eight, but the nines out"kick" the fives.
More Examples: In a hand without a pair or other made hand (high card) such as A Q 8 6 4 your high card (ace) plays as your made hand, and the leftover cards play as your kickers. So this hand is read: Queen Eight Six Four, with high card Ace. (note that the number of kickers played is not important [as in badugi, where they number of cards played is the first judge of strength] excepting identical kickers, where AK555 would lose to AK244, the former playing ace king, and the latter playing ace king deuce).
Even More Examples: Straights play NO kickers, and can only beat a lower straight. Flushes are ALL kickers, so you play all five cards up front (but remember, number of kickers is not always important, and if you have a 7 high flush, you probably have a bad hand). Full houses are no kickers, two pairs only play one (careful not to pair your highest card, this can really counterfeit your hand!), trips play two kickers, and quads play one. A straight flush or royal flush is a tragedy, as they both play no kickers. This makes the nuts of the game Ace King Queen Jack Nine suited, and the nut low the wheel (ace to five straight).
I'll take questions, but playing it helps a lot with catching on.
As for Baduci, there are varied rules, but I prefer max draw 4, and OFFICIALLY aces are LOW for the badugi half.
If you're not REALLY into poker, this might have been thick.
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