Poker has grown in leaps and bounds since it was introduced to the United States in the early 19th Century. The World Series of Poker (est. 1970) has played an especially big role in promoting the casino game; poker tournaments weren’t common before then, but thanks to the magic of television and video – and the internet – tournaments have caught on like wildfire, taking their place alongside cash games at cardrooms and casinos across the globe.
But there’s more to poker than sitting at a casino table and competing against other casino players. Some of the best online poker games out there can be found in the Table Games section at Bovada's online casino, where it’s you versus the gaming Dealer, one-on-one. You can even skip the gaming Dealer entirely and play online video poker at Bovada. Here’s a rundown of some of the great poker-based games we have waiting for you.
1. Video Poker
This was one of the first ways poker enthusiasts could get into the game without needing to lock down a seat. Video poker is an electronic version of 5-Card Draw, which was the most common way to play poker for most of the 1900s. Machines with these video games started popping up at casinos in Las Vegas in the late 1970s, and it wasn’t long before they were everywhere around the world; online Video Poker would follow in the 1990s when the internet became widely available.
Video poker is also one of the easiest casino games there is. You normally have to play the Dealer in poker-based games, but with video poker, it’s just you and the machine. You’ll receive five cards from the standard 52-card deck, face-up, and you’ll have one opportunity to discard and draw as many as you like, hoping to make the best 5-card poker play possible. Some Video Poker games also include a Joker and other wild cards, allowing you to make big hands like Five of a Kind. The bigger your hand, the more you get paid.
2. Tri Card Poker
If you haven’t had the chance to play table games online yet, the easiest way to start is to play Tri Card Poker. This is a variation of Three Card Poker, which was introduced in the mid-1990s. As the name implies, the object is to make a better 3-card hand than the gaming Dealer. Straights, Flushes and Straight Flushes are all possible, as are Pairs and Three of a Kind. The game starts when you place your Ante bet, then you receive your three cards, face-up, and the gaming Dealer gets three also, face-down. If you think the cards you’ve been dealt are good enough to win, hit the Raise button to double your bet; otherwise, hit the Fold button. Again, the bigger hand you make, the more you get paid.
Tri Card Poker also offers a side bet called Pair Plus, which pays out regardless of whether you beat the Dealer. This is where the game’s biggest payouts can be found, up to 40/1 for a Straight Flush. As with most of the offerings in this table games guide, Tri Card Poker is available in both Classic and “New” versions, giving you the choice of casino-style graphics or a more streamlined layout.
3. Let ‘Em Ride
For even larger payouts, play Let ‘Em Ride, where you can earn up to 1000/1 for making a Royal Flush – and thousands more, if you opt in for the progressive jackpot. This game is a twist on Let It Ride, another casino game from the mid-’90s that’s based on 5-Card Stud. There’s no Dealer for you to worry about this time; all you have to do is make a Pair of Tens or higher to receive a cash prize. If you pay the extra $1 for the progressive, you’ll earn a prize if you make at least a Flush.
Let ‘Em Ride starts with your Ante bet (and your progressive opt-in, should you choose to play), then you receive three cards face-up, and two “community cards” are dealt face-down. If you like your first three, hit Raise to match your original bet; otherwise, hit Continue. The first community card is revealed, then you can either Raise or Continue to see the final card and complete your hand.
4. Caribbean Stud Poker
Here’s another poker-based table game called Caribbean Stud Poker where you can make big bucks by taking down a juicy progressive jackpot. This is one of the oldest games on this list, possibly invented (but not patented) as “Casino Poker” by David Sklansky in 1982. The game play is simple enough; place your Ante bet and your optional $1 progressive bet and receive five cards, face-up. The Dealer will get five also, one of them face-up, and if you think you’ve got the better poker hand, hit Raise to double the stakes. Otherwise, hit Fold and forfeit your bet.
Much like Tri Card Poker, the payout on your winning Ante bet gets larger as your hand improves, up to 200/1 for a Royal Flush. However, the Dealer also has to have a “qualifying” hand, meaning they have to have at least Ace-King in their hand. Should the Dealer fail to qualify, your winning hand will pay out at even money. The Dealer doesn’t have to qualify for you to win the progressive jackpot.
5. Caribbean Hold’em
Now we move on to the most popular poker game there is today. Millions of people play Texas Hold’em online, and you can get a piece of the action by playing Caribbean Hold’em. The concept is similar to Caribbean Stud – in fact, these two games share the same progressive jackpot at Bovada's online casino. You place your Ante bet and receive your two “hole” cards, face-up, while the Dealer’s hole ones are face-down. Three community cards are also dealt face-up. If you like your chances so far, hit Raise, then two more community ones will be dealt and the winner declared. You can also choose to Fold and forfeit your bet instead.
Note that the qualifying hand in Caribbean Hold’em is a Pair of Fours, instead of Ace-King. It’s a bit easier to make a big hand in this game, since you have seven cards to make your 5-card hand. Just like regular Hold’em, you can use zero, one or two of your hole cards to build your hand for the Ante bet, but the progressive payout is based specifically on your two hole ones, plus the first three community cards.
6. Pai Gow Poker
Here’s a game that combines the greatness of poker with the ancient Chinese dominoes game known as pai gow. Sam Torosian invented (but famously didn’t patent) Pai Gow Poker in 1985 when he was running the now-defunct Bell cardroom in California. It proved to be a big hit. Pai Gow Poker uses the 52-card deck plus a Joker; it’s you versus the Dealer, but this time, you’ll be making a 2-card hand as well as a 5-card hand.
After you place your Ante bet, you receive seven cards, face-up, and the Dealer gets seven cards, face-down. You’ll then split your cards into a 5-card (aka “high”) hand and a 2-card (aka “low”) hand. The 2-card hand is either a Pair or High Card; suitedness and connectedness does not come into play, and your remaining 5-card hand must be the stronger of the two. Once you’ve made your split, the Dealer will turn over their cards and do the same. Then the 5-card hands and the 2-card hands are compared to see who’s better. You’ll get paid out at even money minus a 5% commission if both your hands come out ahead.
7. Teen Patti (Rapid and Pro)
Finally, let’s welcome some of the newest additions to the Table Games menu at Bovada's online casino. Teen Patti literally means “three cards” in Hindi; this South Asian game has its roots in three-card brag, a British staple that’s considered one of the forerunners of poker. Elements of modern poker can also be found in Teen Patti. There are two versions available at Bovada: Teen Patti Pro, and its cousin, Teen Patti Rapid.
In the Rapid version, you get dealt three cards from the standard 52-card deck, face-up, and if you make at least a Pair, you get a payout based on the given table – up to 50/1 for a Straight Flush. In the Pro version, the Dealer becomes involved, also receiving three. You can bet on the Player or Dealer to win, or you can bet on them to Split, with a massive payout of 865/1 if both hands are of equal value. There are also side bets you can place on either the Player or the Dealer to make specific hands like a Straight (30/1) or Three of a Kind (405/1). Give both versions of Teen Patti a try for free using the Practice Play mode; it might even become your new favorite poker-based game at Bovada.