How Rush Poker Works

As soon as you push the fold button, Full Tilt Poker instantly transfers you to a new table and deals you in instantly. There’s no more waiting in between hands. In fact, you don’t even have to wait during hands. If you start out with a junk hand, you don’t even have to wait for it to be your turn. Just hit the quick-fold button and Full Tilt will move you on to the next table.

To get started, click on the “Rush Poker” tab inside the poker lobby. You’ll then be able to choose from the different games available. Individual tables aren’t listed like in normal ring games. Instead, the rush poker lobby tells you how many people are playing in total and gives you the option to join in.

Once you join, you’ll catch on to what’s going on pretty quickly. You’ll be dealt in to tables just like normal until you fold. As soon as you fold or hit the “quick fold” button, you’ll be taken to a new table. Don’t like the crappy hand you have? No worries – just fold and move on to the next hand.

Rush Poker Strategy

Rush Poker is a different beast than any other type of poker. You can get away with playing tighter in Rush Poker because the other players can’t keep as close track of you. On top of that, you can play tight and still make a decent hourly return because as soon as you fold, you are taken to a new hand.

At the same time, you can also get away with stealing more. The other players aren’t as tempted to defend their blinds or play crappy hands because they know they can always fold and move on to a new hand. In Rush Poker, there are a lot of blinds up for the taking.

One thing I would suggest you do is invest in Holdem Manager so you can keep stats on your opponents. The games move so fast that you’ll see familiar names but not remember anything about those players. With the aid of Holdem Manager, you’ll eventually get a basic idea of how some of your opponents are playing.

Rush Poker and Bonuses

Players who don’t already have an account at Full Tilt can sign up for a $600 deposit bonus. The bonus was already easy to clear but it’s now even easier thanks to Rush Poker. You can play many more hands per hour in Rush Poker and earn Full Tilt Points much faster than normal.

When you sign up and make a deposit at Full Tilt Poker, you’ll be asked for your Full Tilt Poker Bonus code. Use the code BeatNoLimit and you’ll be tracked to receive a 100% bonus on your first deposit there. There’s no easier or faster way to double your money than by getting a bonus and clearing it with Rush Poker.

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The five horse games include:

H: Hold’em
O: Omaha High Low
R: Razz
S: Seven Card Stud
E: Eight or Better (aka Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo)

The game appeals to hardcore poker fans because it requires a thorough knowledge of five different poker games. Each game has its own rules and strategy, so the game of HORSE can take a long time to master.

What makes HORSE appealing to serious poker players is how inexperienced the average HORSE player can be. A lot of people know how to play Holdem but if you put those people in a Razz or Seven Card Stud 8/b game, they’ll be almost helplessly lost.

HORSE is a difficult game to master but it pays off big to players who take the time to learn it. Once you master the game, you’ll find that a lot of other players only know one or two games well and are quite poor at the other games. If you can outlast the players in their specialty games, you’ll tear them apart when the table cycles to their weaker games.

HORSE Poker Tournaments

HORSE poker tournaments are quickly gaining popularity as more and more experienced players learn how to play forms of poker other than Texas Holdem. The World Series of Poker introduced a $50,000 buy-in championship HORSE poker tournament in 2006. That tournament attracts the biggest names in the poker world and is said to have the most difficult competition out of all the tournaments in the WSOP.

Online poker sites also offer HORSE poker tournaments that are a lot easier for experienced players. If you can develop a strong understanding of each game, you’ll have a major leg-up on the competition.

Where to Play HORSE Poker

PokerStars: PokerStars is the best place to play HORSE poker because it has the largest player base out of all the online poker sites out there.

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Full Tilt Poker: Full Tilt Poker has the second-largest player base in the world and is also a great place to play mixed games like HORSE poker. Whether you play small stakes or high stakes, you’ll find lots of mixed game action at Full Tilt.

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Out of the two Triple Draw games, this one is my favorite because the hand rankings are easier to distinguish for people like me who are used to Texas Holdem. The downside to that is that your opponents will also find it easier to catch on to the hand rankings in A-5. There will still be plenty of fish in A-5 Triple Draw (because most people are clueless when it comes to A-5 strategy) but you won’t see quite as many complete blunders like you will in 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.

A-5 Triple Draw Hand Rankings

Since Aces count as low and straights don’t hurt your hand, the best possible hand in A-5 is A-2-3-4-5. This is called “the wheel” or “number 1.” After that, the next strongest hand is A-2-3-4-6 and it’s called “number 2.” The top five strongest hands in A-5 are as follows:

Number 1: A-2-3-4-5
Number 2: A-2-3-4-6
Number 3: A-2-3-5-6
Number 4: A-2-4-5-6
Number 5: A-3-4-5-6

One thing that often confuses new players is the fact that hand values are judged from the top down and not from the bottom up. So even though the hand A-2-3-4-T is comprised of mostly low cards, it would still lose to 4-5-6-7-8 because the highest card in each hand is used to determine the winner. If both hands share the same highest card, the next highest card is used – and so on down the line.

Also remember that pairs do count against you. The only way you can win the pot if you catch pair is if your opponent catches an even bigger pair. The hand A-2-3-5-5 would lose to 7-8-J-Q-K because of the pair.

Play of the Game

The rest of the game is played identically to Deuce to Seven Triple Draw. Each hand begins with the dealer’s button moving one seat to the left. The dealer’s button is used to mark position and represent the dealer in games that employ a full time dealer.

The Blinds

The blinds are small forced antes that ever player must pay at some point. The player to the immediate left of the dealer must pay the small blind and the player to the left of the small blind must pay the big blind.

The small blind is equal to one-half the minimum bet of the game and the big blind is equal to one full minimum bet. So if you’re playing in a $10/$20 fixed limit game, the blinds would be $5 and $10. As the dealer’s button moves around the table, each person will have to pay the blinds once per orbit.

First Deal and Betting Round

Each player receives five cards face down. These are called the “hole” cards. After the players see their cards, there is a round of betting that begins with the player to the left of the big blind. This player has the option of calling the minimum to stay in, folding or raising.

If any of the players raise, all the other players must at least match that raise or fold their hands. The betting continues clockwise around the table until all bets have been matched.

First Draw and Betting Round

Now the players may discard any number of cards from their hands and receive new cards from the deck. After the players have gotten their new cards, there is another round of betting. This time the betting begins with the first player to the left of the dealer.

Second Draw and Betting Round

This drawing round and betting round is played exactly the same as the previous round.

Third Draw and Betting Round

This is the last chance for players to draw and bet but this round is also played identically to the previous round.

Showdown

After all the players have finished betting, the players still in the hand reveal their cards. The player with the best A-5 Triple Draw poker hand wins the pot.

Best Poker Site for A-5 Triple Draw

PokerStars - PokerStars is the best poker site for all non-Holdem games because there are enough players here to keep the tables running. If you’re new to PokerStars, you’ll get up to $50 added to your first deposit.

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Triple Draw Lowball is definitely not a game for the timid of heart. The hands move quickly, lots of bets are placed and the tide can turn on any player without a moment’s notice. It’s an action-junkie’s paradise but if you learn the proper strategy for 2-7 Triple Draw, you’ll be able to make a lot of money.

Triple Draw Lowball Hand Rankings

2-7 Triple Draw poker hands are ranked exactly opposite to those of normal poker hands. The object of 2-7 Triple Draw is to get the worst possible traditional poker hand. Straights, flushes and pairs all count against you so what you want is a collection of low cards that aren’t sequential, aren’t paired and aren’t all of the same suit.

Aces always count as high in 2-7 so the best possible hand in 2-7 Triple Draw is 2-3-4-5-7. The worst possible hand in 2-7 Triple Draw is the Royal Flush. Here are the five best hands in Deuce to Seven Triple Draw Lowball:

1.    2-3-4-5-7
2.    2-3-4-6-7
3.    2-3-5-6-7
4.    2-4-5-6-7
5.    2-3-4-5-8

You can see that the hand 2-3-4-5-6 is skipped even though it has all low cards. The problem with that hand is that it contains a straight. Remember also that hands with pairs and flushes are extremely weak. There’s no minimum qualifying hand so it is possible that any of those hands but it’s not very likely.

Hands are ranked starting from the highest card and working down. So if two players are vying for the pot and they both have hands in which the highest card is an 8, the next highest card is looked at to determine the winner.

Example: In the case of 2-3-4-6-8 vs. 2-3-5-6-8, the first hand would win. Both hands have the same highest card and the same second-highest card so the next card down is used to determine the winner.

Play of the Game

Deuce to Seven Triple Draw uses the same blinds and dealer setup as Texas Holdem. A small round disc known as the “dealer’s button” is used to represent the dealer. The dealer’s button moves on seat to the left at the beginning of each hand.

Blinds

The blinds are small antes that two players are forced to pay at the beginning of each hand. The two players to the left of the dealer are responsible for paying the blinds each hand so as the dealer’s button moves around the table, every person at the table will have to pay the blinds.

The person to the immediate left of the dealer posts the small blind, which is equal to half of the minimum bet. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which is equal to one full minimum bet. In a $10/$20 fixed limit game, the blinds would be $5 and $10.

First Deal and Betting Round

Each player is dealt five cards face down. The cards are dealt one at a time beginning with the player to the left of the dealer and moving clockwise around the table.

After all the cards have been dealt, the betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind. This player may call the minimum bet to stay in the hand, fold his hand or put in a raise. The betting then continues clockwise around the table. If any players make a raise, all the other players must at least match that raise or fold their hands.

First Draw and Second Betting Round

Each player may discard as many cards from his hand as he wishes and receive new cards in place of the discarded cards. If a player chooses to discard all five cards, he will immediately be dealt 4 new cards and then the final card will be dealt after all the other players have made received their new cards.

If a player decides not to discard any cards, this is called “standing pat.”

After the players have received their new cards, there is a second round of betting. This time the betting begins with the first player to the left of the dealer. This player may check, bet or fold. The betting then continues clockwise around the table.

Second Draw and Third Betting Round

This round is played identically to the previous round. The players may receive as many cards as they wish and then a third round of betting begins with the first player to the left of the dealer.

Third Draw and Fourth Betting Round

This is the final drawing and betting round and it is played in the exact same manner as the previous round.

Showdown

After all the betting from the previous round has been concluded, the players still remaining in the pot reveal their cards. The player with the best 2-7 Triple Draw hand wins the pot.

Best Poker Site for 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball

PokerStars - Once again I have to recommend PokerStars for all your 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball action. PokerStars has so many players that you can find good 2-7 Triple Draw action at all stakes. Ultimate Bet used to have a lot of action too but the Triple Draw tables there have really died down in recent years.

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The mechanics of the game are identical to those of Omaha poker. The blinds are set up the same, each player is dealt four cards and there are four betting rounds just like in normal Omaha poker. The difference between the two games comes from the additional qualifying “low” hands in Omaha 8/b.

Omaha 8/b Low Hands

The player with the best qualifying low hand in Omaha 8/b will win half the pot in a showdown. To qualify for a low hand, a player’s hand must contain 5 cards that are 8 or lower with no pairs in the hand. Straights and flushes don’t count against you.

Aces can count as low in Omaha 8/b so the best possible low hand is A-2-3-4-5, which is also called the “bicycle.” The winner of the low hand is determined by the player who has the lowest high card in the hand. If two players have the same high card, the next-highest card is used to determine the winner. In the case of A-2-3-5-8 vs. A-4-5-6-8, the highest card in both hands is 8, so we look at the next card. The next highest card in each hand is a 5 and a 6, so the hand containing A-2-3-5-8 would win the low half of the pot.

The high half of the pot is played according to normal poker rules. The best five card hand wins the high half of the pot. If nobody has a qualifying low hand, the high hand wins the whole pot instead of just half the pot.

Certain low hands can also sometimes qualify for the high hand.  If the lowest hand is A-2-4-6-7 (all of the same suit), it would win the low half of the pot as a 7 low. If nobody had anything better than a flush, this hand would also win the high half of the pot as a flush.

Note – Just as in normal Omaha, you must use exactly two cards from your hand and three cards from the board when making your Omaha 8/b hands. One neat thing though is that you can use two cards for your low hand and then use two completely different cards when qualifying for the high hand.

Quartering

Occasionally two players will tie for one side of the pot and will have to split that half of the pot in half. If two players end up with the same low hand, for example, each player would get 1/4th of the entire pot.

Getting quartered is almost always a bad thing because it usually ends up returning less money than what you paid into the pot. Every once in a while you’ll make a little money if there was a lot of action early in the hand but that doesn’t happen very often.

Rules of the Game

If you already know the rules of Texas Holdem or Omaha poker, you’ll feel right at home with Omaha Hi / Lo. Each hand of Omaha Hi/Lo begins with the dealer’s button which is a small disc that represents the dealer. The dealer’s button moves one spot to the left at the beginning of every hand.

The Blinds

Omaha uses a standard blind system in which the two players to the left of the dealer pay small antes equal to one-half and one full minimum bet. The player directly to the left of the dealer pays the small blind and the player to the left of the small blind pays the big blind. In a $1/2 pot limit Omaha 8/b game, the small blind would be $1 and the big blind would be $2. In a $5/$10 fixed limit game, the small blind would be $2.50 and the big blind would be $5.

Preflop Play

After the blinds have been posted, each player is dealt four cards face down. These are called the “hole” cards and will be used in combination with the community cards to make your final hand(s).

Once the cards have all been dealt, there is a round of betting. The action begins with the player to the left of the big blind and he may call the minimum bet to stay in, fold his cards or raise. If any player makes a raise, all the other players at the table must at least match this raise or fold their hands.

The Flop

Now the dealer places three cards face up in the middle of the table. These are community cards and all the players may use them to make their poker hands.

There is another round of betting but this time the action begins with the first player to the left of the dealer. This play may check, bet, raise or fold. If any player makes a bet or raise, the other players at the table must either match that bet or fold.

The Turn

The dealer places one more card face up next to the flop. There is another round of betting identical to the previous round of betting.

The River

One final community card is dealt face up next to the turn card. There is one last round of betting identical to the previous round of betting.

After all the bets have been matched, the players still in the pot may now reveal their hands. The player with the lowest “Lo” hand wins half the pot and the player with the best high hand wins the high half of the pot. If there is no qualifying low hand, the player with the best high hand wins the entire pot.

Best Poker Site for Omaha Hi / Lo

I feel guilty for listing PokerStars as number 1 every time, but once again, PokerStars is the best place to play this form of poker. PokerStars really is the best place for all of these less popular games because there are so many people online at PokerStars that you can usually find tables running. If you’re new to PokerStars, use this link to get started and you’ll get a $50 sign-up bonus.

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The game is easy to learn so it’s popular at home games and casual players. The one thing holding this game back from widespread popularity is that there’s not as much strategy involved in Five Card Draw as there is in other games. But even so, there’s still a surprising amount of strategy involved in the game. If you take the time to learn it well, you’ll mostly be up against casual poker players (fish).

The Blinds / Antes

There are two ways to set up the antes in 5 Card Draw. Home games usually just have each player place a small amount of money in the pot at the beginning of every hand. Casinos usually use the same blinds system that’s used in Texas Holdem.

The Deal and First Betting Round

Each player is dealt five cards face down. These are called the “hole cards” and they should not be shown to anyone else.

If you’re playing according to the Texas Holdem blind system, the first player to the left of the big blind starts out the betting on this round. This player may call the minimum bet to stay in, raise or fold. The betting then continues around the table clockwise until everyone has either called the largest bet or folded.

In the home game ante version, the betting on this round begins with the player to the left of the dealer. This player may check, bet or fold.

The Draw and Second Betting Round

Now the players may discard up to 3 or 5 cards (depending on where you’re playing) and receive new cards from the deck.

If you’re playing according to the blind system, the second betting round begins with the first player to the left of the big blind. This player may check, bet or fold. If any player makes a bet or raise, all the other players at the table must at least match that bet or fold their hands.

If you’re playing with antes, the first person to act during the second betting round is the first person who made a bet during the last round. If nobody made a bet in the last round, the action starts with the player to the left of the dealer.

Showdown

After the last betting round has been wrapped up, the players still remaining in the hand show their cards. The player with the best five card poker hand wins the pot. If there is only one player remaining after the last betting round, that player may choose not to show his cards.

Best Poker Site for 5 Card Draw

PokerStars is currently the best poker site for 5 Card Draw. Most poker sites don’t even offer 5 Card Draw but of the ones that do, none of them have any action worth mentioning. PokerStars just has so many players in general that you’re able to find tables at any game and at most stakes.

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