HA Poker is one of the newest mixed games to become popular and for the most part it is not really difficult to see why. It combines two of the hottest poker variants in existence today, allowing the person that triumphs at this mixed game to be the person that triumphs in the popular poker scene. The two games in question are pot limit Texas Hold Em and pot limit Omaha.
Pot limit Texas Hold Em is a game that is exactly like no limit Texas Hold Em with the exception of the betting structure. In a pot limit betting structure, the amount of money that a person can bet or raise at any point would be the amount of money that is in the pot whereas with no limit a person can put all of their chips into the centre of the table at any point in time. Additionally, some games have a cap pot limit which actually does put an absolute limit on the amount of money that can be bet by a player, allowing people that might not like the wild variations of no limit and pot limit games to have a less structured method of betting that still employs the overall cap on things. The same is true for the difference between pot limit Omaha and no limit Omaha, although in the case of the Omaha variant the pot limit betting structure is usually the more popular one in cash games to begin with.
The main attraction with this particular type of poker is that it forces a person to be good at more than one poker variant in order to be successful in the overall game. The blinds and antes are the same for Omaha and Hold Em generally and since the games themselves go for a complete round of the table before switching, a person can lose a significant amount of money in blinds and antes if they decide they are only going to play during one of the two variant rounds. Most of those people would stay with pure Hold Em or Omaha games to begin with, allowing players that have proficiency in both forms to duke it out for bragging rights as to which player reigns supreme when the two most popular poker variants are put together into one intense game of cash poker.
Many of the online poker sites are also getting into the spirit of mixed games generally and HA poker specifically by offering these games in both cash game and tournament format. Right now, you can go online to several sites and play HA poker in both forms at stakes that range from the micro all the way up to the high.
HA Poker is not the only mixed game in town however and our website can get you up to speed on the others including a very exciting 8 Game Poker Mix.
7-Stud is a game that stays true to its name as any player making it to the showdown will have seven cards in their hand. The goal of the game is to use five of those seven cards to make a poker hand and to beat the other players.
The game starts off with each player being dealt two cards face down and one card face up. After a round of betting, all remaining players are dealt another face up card. A fifth card face up is dealt after a second round of betting, with a third round of betting preceding the sixth card being dealt face up once again. A fourth round of betting comes after the sixth card is dealt and any players still remaining in the hand are dealt a seventh card face down (if there are more players than cards left, a single community card is placed face up in the centre of the table for all players to share). A final round of betting occurs and then the showdown happens.
This is the basic form of 7-Stud, although some of the subtleties are different depending on the specific variant that is being played. For example, original 7-Stud uses conventional poker hand rankings, with the highest hand taking down the pot. In this variant, the player with the lowest facing up card at the start is the one that is forced to open the betting rather than there being a blind system that works its way around the table.
In Razz, which is 7-Stud where the lowest hand wins the pot instead of the highest hand, that particular rule is usually reversed and the highest up card opens the betting as that would be the worst card in the reversed hand rankings of Razz. Finally, in 7-Stud/8 where half the pot is won by the highest and half by the lowest hand, the convention is usually to open the betting in the same way as original 7-Stud, although you will occasionally see home games where this particular rule is not observed.
That about does it for the basics of how each of these games work. Within those rules however, you will find that there is great variation in regards to betting strategies, starting hand selection and just about everything else under the sun. Poker is infinitely complex and the seven cards that each player left in at the showdown receives in 7-Stud makes it a perfect example of why that is the case.
Seven Card Poker in the modern era is almost always 7-Stud in one form or another, such as 7 Card Stud High Low. For more information on this excellent poker variant, take a look at our website.
Trendy South Beach offers visitors and residents of Miami many attractions. The old art deco hotels and buildings have been beautifully restored and attract visitors from around the globe. What was once a derelict section of Miami populated chiefly by drug addled lunatics is now a world class tourist attraction. South Beach is also home to many trendy night clubs and upscale entertainment venues. The area draws young people from far and wide and there is a new activity that is packing them in.
The upscale Standard Hotel is offering a new variation on an old game. For decades the game of bingo has been associated with little old ladies sitting in smoky church basements and VFW halls but as the Standard Hotel advertises, this is “Not your grandmother’s Bingo.”
Bingo has undergone a transformation in recent years and is attracting a younger crowd. Bingo players years from their first retirement check are gleefully drinking, dancing, and cavorting with some of the most colorful drag queens to be found anywhere. In recent years bingo has become immensely popular in the Gay community and raucous games such as those at the Standard Hotel attract a diverse crowd.
Although some may see bingo as a boring dated pastime, games like those held at the Stanford are giving new life to the game and insure its survival. Most of the players are in their 20’s or 30’s and the bingo callers can get pretty colorful as they call the numbers and add a little bit of sexual innuendo. In most bingo games when there is a tie the players simply split the money but not at the Stanford. If there is a tie the crowd yells “Dance Off” which immediately triggers an impromptu dance contest with the winnings going to the dancer who elicits the loudest response from the crowd.
The phenomenon taking place at the Stanford is being duplicated across the country. Almost every major American city has its own version of drag bingo and the popular games fill halls across the country with habitues. Many casinos are trying new innovations to attract younger players. In Minnesota the Mystic Lake Casino offers their own version called ‘Cosmic Bingo’ which takes place on Friday and Saturday nights. The games features dance music, lots of colorful neon lights, and spicy bingo callers. The casino’s director of operations says that attendance reaches 500 on many nights.
The addition of booze, drag queens, booty shaking, and dance music has breathed new life into the game of bingo and ensures its survival well into the next generation.
Anthony Wayne works as a marketing consultant for online bingo site BingoHouse. His articles may also be found at BingoLingo and at BingoSuite.