Learning another poker game starts with three questions: which cards may I use, what hand wins, and how is the pot divided? Answer those before transferring a familiar hold'em lesson.
A compact map of the differences
| Game | Cards used at showdown | What wins? |
|---|---|---|
| Hold'em | Best five from the board and two hole cards; zero, one or two hole cards may play. | High hand. |
| Omaha high | Exactly two hole cards and three board cards. | High hand; having more hole cards does not change the two-card rule. |
| Omaha hi-lo | Exactly two plus three for each half, possibly different combinations. | High and qualifying eight-or-better low share the pot. |
| Stud high / stud hi-lo | Best five from an individual's seven cards, not an Omaha board. | High only, or high and qualifying low, depending on the game. |
| Razz | Best five-card low from an individual's seven. | Ace-to-five low, without an eight-or-better qualifier. |
| 2-7 triple draw | Five-card hand after up to three draws. | Deuce-to-seven low; aces are high and straights and flushes count against you. |
| Badugi | Up to four cards with distinct ranks and suits. | A qualifying four-card hand beats a three-card hand; then compare low ranks. |
Use the Omaha, razz and selected rule references below for the full procedures. A mix such as HORSE or eight-game is a rotation, not one blended set of hand rankings.
Exactly two is the rule worth checking first.
In a fictional Omaha hand, you hold ace of spades, king of diamonds, queen of clubs and jack of hearts. The board is two of spades, seven of spades, nine of spades, jack of spades and three of diamonds. You do not have a flush: using four board spades and one hole spade is illegal in Omaha. Only one of your hole cards is a spade.
Five-card Omaha adds a hole card, not permission to use three. Do not use a hold'em hand evaluator, or a four-card range table, without checking which game it supports. A visually impressive screenshot is not enough to establish a legal hand.
Winning low does not always mean winning half.
A low needs five different qualifying ranks. Having ace-two does not guarantee a qualifying low on every board, and two players can hold equally good lows. When no one qualifies in this format, the high winner receives the whole pot. Those rules do not mean that all lowball games have a qualifier.
“Low” is not one ranking system.
In ace-to-five lowball, aces are low and straights and flushes do not spoil the low. In deuce-to-seven, aces are high and straights and flushes count against it. Thus an unsuited 7-5-4-3-2 is an excellent deuce-to-seven hand, while A-2-3-4-5 is not the lowball winner it would be under ace-to-five rules.
Badugi adds another distinction: rank and suit duplication can reduce the number of cards that count. Read its four-card ranking rule before comparing the numerical height of two hands.
Check the current game, not just the previous hand.
In mixed games, confirm the rotation and betting structure before applying an action rule. A fixed-limit round and a pot-limit round do not offer the same raise sizes. In short-deck hold'em, even the familiar high-hand hierarchy can change: the linked PokerStars six-plus rules rank a flush over a full house. Other organizers' short-deck rules need their own check.
Both players make the best low. Does each get half the entire pot?
Not in the example. They split only the low half, so each receives a quarter of the whole pot from low. A also wins the entire high half and receives three quarters overall.
Choose the rule reference for your exact game
These are introductions and rule references, not recommended ranges or evidence that a particular game is currently offered at a venue.
PokerStars
Omaha hi-lo: hand construction and low qualification
Explains exactly two hole cards, the eight-or-better low qualifier, and splitting or scooping the pot.
Before you use it: Operator rules page, not a strategy chart. High and low can use different card combinations; confirm the exact variant and betting structure.
Public page read · · Full directory listing
PokerStars
Five-card Omaha rules
Explains five private cards while retaining exactly two hole cards and three board cards at showdown.
Before you use it: Not interchangeable with four-card Omaha ranges. Check whether the actual game is high-only or split-pot and pot-limit or another structure.
Public page read · · Full directory listing
PokerStars
Seven-card stud hi-lo rules
A street-by-street introduction to stud eight-or-better, including the low qualifier and split-pot showdown.
Before you use it: Stud hand construction differs from Omaha. This page describes this operator's game, not a universal live-room procedure.
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Lucky Chances
Seven-card stud: a live cardroom rule reference
A concise cardroom reference for antes, the bring-in, exposed cards and later betting rounds.
Before you use it: Room-specific rules and examples. Publication does not establish that this game is currently running or available at a particular limit.
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PokerStars
Deuce-to-seven triple draw rules
Explains three drawing rounds, standing pat, and lowball rankings in which aces, straights and flushes matter.
Before you use it: Do not import ace-to-five low rankings from razz or Omaha hi-lo. This is triple draw, not single draw.
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PokerStars
Eight-game mix: games and rotation
Lists the eight component games and explains changes in the game and betting structure.
Before you use it: The published rotation timing belongs to this operator. Live events can use a different number of hands or a different order.
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Pagat
Badugi rules and showdown comparisons
Look up the deal, drawing rounds, hand comparison, and the treatment of incomplete four-card hands.
Before you use it: Rules reference rather than strategy instruction. Confirm local variations before using it to interpret a particular event.
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PokerStars
Six-plus hold'em: short-deck differences
Documents a 36-card deck, button-blind structure and changed rankings for this short-deck format.
Before you use it: These rankings are operator-specific: a flush beats a full house and A-6-7-8-9 is a straight here. Confirm local rules rather than assuming all short-deck games match.
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Prepared with AI assistance. Published . Worked examples are fictional, not Nolan's hands or results. Sources and review limits accompany each listing. Use study material before or after play, not as live assistance.