5 Most Popular Poker Games to Learn (and Play) in 2025

Poker has been a popular card game among gamblers since those early days of steaming down the Mississippi River on paddlewheel boats back in the 19th century. Its popularity continued to grow throughout the Civil War, and eventually, the game spread worldwide. 

Today, poker is enjoyed in land-based casinos, online casinos, at home with friends, and, yes, still on riverboats. The game has many variants with differing rules and betting options, including playing directly against the house or other players.

This article looks at the most popular poker games in 2025 and what makes them so appealing to today’s poker fans. 

Player vs. player poker games

First, we examine the most popular poker games that offer a player vs. player experience, when you can play against your peers and must use various strategies and psychological tricks to give yourself an edge over your opponents. Get lucky, and you can walk away with a big pile of chips. 

Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold’em is the Cadillac of poker. Its unique gameplay is relatively straightforward, and it’s the form of poker you’ve probably seen played out on TV. Each player receives two private cards (hole cards) and shares up to five community cards with the rest of the table. 

The community cards are dealt face-up in three stages: the flop, the turn, and the river, with a betting round at every stage. You aim to create the best possible five-card poker hand using any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards. 

A player can win a Texas Hold’em poker round by betting and forcing all other players to fold or having a superior hand in a showdown. It’s a game of strategy, skill, and chance, making it a favorite among poker players. 

Omaha

Omaha poker is similar to Texas Hold’em, but this time, you receive four hole cards rather than two and must use exactly two of them in combination with three of the five community cards to make the strongest hand possible. 

Again, Omaha poker includes several betting rounds and requires a good blend of strategy and skill because of the extra hole cards.

Five-Card Draw

In five-card draw, you’re dealt five cards and can exchange some or all of them once to try and improve your hand. After the draw, there is one final round of betting before the game concludes, with the best hand taking the pot. 

Player vs. casino poker games

If playing against other players feels intimidating, you may test your poker skills against the house before upgrading to the games listed above once you have the skills needed to play competitively. 

Games that pit players against the house can offer a different dynamic, often have simpler rules, and offer faster gameplay. This is in part because the psychological element is removed and partly due to the lack of opponents, meaning you don’t have to worry about other players making decisions before your turn. 

Three-Card Poker

Three-card poker is the perfect example of a player vs. casino game. It offers fantastic, fast-paced gameplay and fewer hand rankings because you have only three cards to work with. 

This poker variant has two main bets: the ante bet, where your hand is up against the dealer’s hand, and the Pair Plus bet, where you win based on the strength of your hand, regardless of what the dealer is holding. 

The fast gameplay and straightforward rules make it one of the most popular poker games in online casinos. 

Video Poker

Video poker is a digital game that can be played online or with physical machines in a casino, like slot-game cabinets. Video poker is fantastic if you’re starting, as you can set the game's pace yourself. It’s basically a five-card draw in that you receive five cards and get to hold as many of them as you like in a redraw.

Generally, you must make a hand of a pair of jacks or better to win a return.

Show your poker face

Now, it’s time to hit the tables and find the best variant for you. Check out our YOUBET casino pages to find the best online casinos to start playing poker games today.