Never played poker before? Played a bit but fancy sharpening up? Or maybe you're curious about the more exotic variants we've got on offer? You've landed in exactly the right spot. At Paddy Power Poker, we believe everyone should be able to jump in with confidence, whether that's your first hand or your five-hundredth. This is your complete guide to the games, the rules, the rankings, and everything you need to know to sit down and play.
The Essentials: Poker Hand Rankings
Before we dive into the games themselves, let's nail the fundamentals. In poker, your hand strength is everything. From the humble high card all the way up to the royal flush, understanding hand rankings is your foundation.
Royal Flush: Five cards in sequence, all the same suit, starting with an Ace. That's the Holy Grail.
Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence, all matching suits. Nearly as good as it gets.
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank. Rare. Powerful. Beautiful.
Full House: Three of a kind plus a pair. A proper powerhouse.
Flush: Five cards of the same suit, any order. Solid and deceptive.
Straight: Five cards in sequence, mixed suits. Underrated and often sneaky.
Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. A good hand that can get you out of tight spots.
Two Pair: Two different pairs. Better than it sounds, worse than you'd hope in a showdown.
One Pair: Two cards of the same rank. The most common winning hand in poker.
High Card: When nothing else connects, your highest card plays. It happens more than you'd think.
Master these, and you're halfway there.
Texas Hold'em - The King of Poker
Texas Hold'em is the heavyweight champion of poker. If you've seen poker on telly, this is almost certainly what you were watching. Here's how it works:
You get two private cards (your "hole cards") that only you can see. Then the table reveals five community cards in stages: the flop (three cards), the turn (one card), and the river (one final card). Your job? Make the best five-card hand possible using any combination of your two cards and the five on the board.
The beauty of Hold'em is the balance between information and uncertainty. You know your own cards, but everyone else is a mystery. That's where the strategy, the bluffing, and the real poker magic happens. From tight, cautious play to aggressive all-in shoves, Hold'em rewards skill, patience, and nerve in equal measure.
Whether you're playing cash games or tournaments, Texas Hold'em is the perfect place to start. And it's brilliant enough to keep you entertained for a lifetime.
Omaha: High Octane Poker
Think Hold'em's exciting? Say hello to Omaha. Here's the twist: instead of two hole cards, you get four private cards, and you must use exactly two of them along with exactly three community cards to make your hand.
That extra information sounds simple, but it changes everything. Hands are stronger, pots are bigger, and action moves faster. Omaha is a game of texture and connectivity: with four cards in your hand, you've got more possibilities, more draws, and more drama. It's the thinking player's game, but it rewards aggression too.
Omaha Hi/Lo splits the pot between the best high hand and the best low hand (if a qualifying low exists). That doubles the strategy and keeps you guessing right to the river.
Beyond the Classics: Exotic Variants for the Adventurous
Fancy something different? At Paddy’s, we've got it covered.
6+ Hold'em removes all the twos through fives from the deck, making it a faster, more aggressive variant where big hands come more often. Pure action.
5 Card Omaha & 6 Card Omaha take Omaha's chaos and ramp it up even further with extra cards in play. For players who love information and complexity.
Courchevel is Hold'em's sophisticated cousin. One of your five community cards is revealed before you even look at your hole cards, changing strategy from the start.
Seven Card Stud harks back to classic poker roots. No community cards here: you build your hand from seven personal cards, with multiple betting rounds. It's cerebral, atmospheric, and rewards memory and observation.