Super System

Written by Nigel

I have to tell you, poker nuts just have to have this book – or at least read it.  Though it was written ages ago, well about 30 years in fact, Doyle Brunson’s book is still one of the leading poker strategy books.  Super System made it to the top of the poker books list when it was released and is still quite relevant today.

For those who have not read Super System, here is a short synopsis of what you can learn from it.  First, summon up all your courage and bring it to the table.  Try to be more courageous than everyone else at the table.  Next, do not hesitate to play a loose game, especially when you have super disciplined players with you.  in relation to this, you should take control of the table by playing aggressively.  Do not hold back.  On the other hand, take note of the other players.  When playing against weak ones, play a certain strategy.  When playing against strong players, change tactics.  Flexibility is the key.

That about sums it up.  The specifics of how to do these things, you can read it up.  The book is still available in online stores.  If you do not want to shell out the money, try borrowing it from friends or your local library.  Poker beginners will definitely get a lot out of the book while seasoned players will definitely hone their game.  Let’s learn from the master – if you are trying to hone your skills, begin with this book.

Iron Cross and H-Bomb

Written by Nigel

With names such as these, you could expect to have very interesting games, and indeed a game of Iron Cross or H-Bomb can give you a night full of fun.  The first variant derives its name from the shape of the community cards, which total 5.  The dealer first deals 4 cards to each player.  He then lays out the 5 community cards in 2 intersecting rows of 3 cards each.  Prior to the start of the game, the dealer decides whether the center card is to be considered wild.  The community cards are flipped one at a time, with a round of betting in between flips.  The norm is for the center card to be flipped last.  After the fifth and final round of betting, players decide which row to use to complete his hand.

For H-Bomb, the community cards form an H.  In this variant, the community cards total 7.  There are 2 rows of six with the seventh connecting the two.  All players are dealt 4 cards.  The dealer immediately flips a card on the H, followed by a betting round.  One card at a time is then flipped followed by a round of betting.  Again, it is up to the dealer to decide which card to flip.  Normally, the connecting card is the last to be flipped although the dealer may choose a different scenario.  When all the 7 cards have been flipped, there is one final round of betting.  The players form their hand by choosing any of the 5 rows possible in the community cards – 2 vertical, the horizontal, and 2 diagonal rows.

Cincinnati, Ohio, and Tennessee Poker

Written by Nigel

These place names may be quite familiar to other people because of the locations associated with them.  However, to anyone familiar with poker, these names would ring a bell relating to some of the most popular community poker variations.

Cincinnati poker is perhaps one of the original community poker variants.  The idea behind Cincinnati poker is for the dealer to deal out 5 cards to each player.  He then lays down another set of cards – the community cards – face down.  Each card will be flipped over in between betting rounds.  At the end, each player must form the best five card hand from both his hand and the community cards.  The community cards may be 4 or 5 in all, depending on the arrangements.

Ohio poker is basically the same as Cincinnati.  The big difference is that at the end, when all the community cards have been revealed, the card with the lowest numerical value will be declared a wild card.  This will include all cards with the same value that each player is holding.

As for Tennessee poker, it is also basically the same as Cincinnati poker.  The difference does not lie in the cards but in how the betting goes.  In this variation of community poker, betting is fixed.  That is, for example, the first round of betting only accepts one betting unit.  It is the dealer who determines what a unit would be.  The next round of betting can then accept 2 bet units and so on.

Next time, let’s look at some other popular versions of community poker.

Community Poker

Written by Nigel

One very common poker variation is community poker, which actually encompasses the very popular variation, Texas Hold ‘em.  The basic idea behind community poker is for each player at the table to be dealt with a certain number of face down cards.  These cards are then used in conjunction with the community cards, which are dealt face down in the middle of the table, to be used by all the players.

Variations of community poker usually depend on how the community cards are laid out in the center of the table.  The most common layouts for the community cards are the line, the cross, and the circle.  As you might have surmised by now, Texas Hold ‘em Poker falls unader the first variant – the line.  The cross, obviously, lays out the community cards in the form of the cross.  The circle, again obviously, has the community cards in a loop.  This last one is not as common as the first two forms.

Depending on the specific game, the community cards can be flipped over one at a time or all at the same time.  In some games, the decision depends on the dealer.  Some people say that the only difference between one community poker game and another is how the community cards are laid out.  As such, different community poker games are usually made more exciting by adding stipulations.  Again, these stipulations would depend on the players and the dealer.

In our next post, let’s take a look at some of the most common variants of community poker.

Draw Poker Variations

Written by Nigel

Basic Five Card Draw
We touched upon this variation slightly in the last post.  As the name implies, a total of 5 cards are dealt to each player.  These are all dealt face down and each player can exchange a certain number of cards.  The dealer determines how many cards the players can exchange.  The betting round is started by the player to the left of the dealer.  The players then draw after the first betting round.  After this, another round of betting ensues.  This is the last round of betting after which the remaining players show their hands.

Acey Deucey
This variation is exactly the same as the 5 card draw.  The main difference is that all 2s and Aces are considered wild cards.  As such, a player can assign any value to a 2 or an Ace.

Stedman’s
Just like the previous variation, this one is the same as the 5 card draw with the difference being that all 5s and 10s are considered wild cards.  If you are wondering where the name came from, it was derived from an old chain of five and dimers.

Pregnant Threes
If you think that the previous two variations are easy, then check this one out.  In this variation, all 3s, 6s, and 9s are wild cards.  With 12 wild cards, you can have 4 of a kind easily.

As you can imagine, there are endless variations to draw poker.  You could probably even come up with one of your own!

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