Poker

Rules, strategy, and where to play — written by people who play with real money. Pick where you are below.

Where Are You Right Now?

Jump straight to what you need.

🧠
Advanced player
Sharpen your edge — tools & theory
Hand reading, ICM, tracking software, and free calculators. For players already beating the games who want to find the next edge.
💻
Ready to play online
Find the right site for you
Honest reviews based on real deposits. We cover player traffic, software quality, bonus terms, and withdrawal speed — the things that actually matter when you’re playing for money.

Game Variants

Seven variants fully covered — rules, strategy, and where each is available online.

Community card
Omaha / Pot-Limit Omaha
Four hole cards instead of two, but you must use exactly two. More possible hand combinations means bigger pots, more draws, and a fundamentally different strategic landscape.
→ For Hold'em players wanting a deeper game
Draw / Lowball
Badugi
A unique Korean draw game where the lowest four-card rainbow hand wins. Three drawing rounds, completely different hand rankings, and a steep learning curve that rewards study.
→ For players who want something totally different
Stud lowball
Razz
Seven-card stud played for low. The best hand is A-2-3-4-5. Straights and flushes don't count against you. Patience and memory are everything.
→ For mixed-game and stud players
Hold'em variant
Pineapple Poker
Three hole cards dealt, one discarded. Stronger average hands than Hold'em, bigger pots, and several sub-variants (Simple, Crazy, Lazy) with different discard timings.
→ For Hold'em players wanting more action
Mixed game
H.O.R.S.E. Mixed Games
Five poker variants in one rotating format: Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, and Stud Hi-Lo. The ultimate test of well-rounded poker skill.
→ For experienced players who want variety
Table game
Mississippi Stud
A house-banked poker game where you play against a paytable, not other players. Different from competitive poker but uses poker hand rankings and has its own optimal strategy.
→ For casino table game fans

Strategy

The guides below are sequenced in the order they build on each other. Preflop decisions happen before postflop — so learn them first. Pot odds are useless until you understand outs. Hand reading is the last layer.

Joshua’s note on strategy

“Most players skip preflop fundamentals and jump straight to fancy postflop plays. That’s backwards. If your preflop ranges are wrong, everything downstream is wrong too. Start with the sequenced guides on the left and work through them in order.”

— Joshua Hill, playing online since 2004

Cash Games & Tournaments

Two fundamentally different formats — pick one to focus on first. The skills overlap but the strategy diverges significantly.

Format
Cash Games
Chips equal real money at all times. You can rebuy and leave whenever you want. Decisions are purely EV-based — no stack-size pressure from blinds escalating.
Format
Tournaments
Fixed buy-in, escalating blinds, last player standing wins. Stack depth changes strategy completely — late-stage chip decisions require ICM awareness, not just EV calculation.

Where to Play Online Poker

Every site below has been tested with a real account and real money. Scores are based on player traffic, software quality, game integrity, and withdrawal speed — the things that actually affect your experience.

We have affiliate agreements with all sites listed. Commission does not affect scores. All sites are offshore casinos. What this means for you →

Black Chip Poker logo

Black Chip Poker

Poker (ACR Network)
7.5
/10
Safety
Payouts
Games

ACR’s sister site — same network, same games, rakeback option

Slots.lv logo

Slots.lv

Blackjack + Slots
7.2
/10
Safety
Payouts
Games

Ignition family casino — strong table games, fast crypto, slots-focused branding

Cafe Casino logo

Cafe Casino

Blackjack + Slots
7.2
/10
Safety
Payouts
Games

Ignition’s sister casino — great for slots and blackjack, fast crypto payouts