World Championship Poker 2 features the most popular games played by the pros. Some you have certainly heard of, others may be new to you. Whether you play against a virtual opponent or your friends, your skills will be pushed to the limit—and if you survive—honed to a fine edge.

TEXAS HOLD’EM
In Texas Hold’em, players receive two downcards as their personal hand (called “holecards” or “poket cards”), after which there is a round of betting. Three boardcards are turned simultaneously (called the “flop”) and another round of betting occurs. The next two boardcards are turned one at a time, with a round of betting after each card. The boardcards are community cards, and a player may use any five-card combination from among the board and personal cards. A player may even use all of the boardcards and no personal cards to form a hand (play the board). A dealer button is used. The blind structure uses two blinds a small and a big. Object: The best possible five card poker hand, using any combination of hole cards and community cards, wins the pot.

Betting Rounds

1. The dealer deals each player their own two cards face-down (pocket cards)
2. 1st betting round
3. The dealer burns a card then turns over three community cards face-up
   (the flop)
4. 2nd betting round
5. The dealer burns another card then turns over 1 more community card (called “the turn” or “4th street”)
6. 3rd betting round
7. The dealer burns another card then turns over 1 final community card (called “the river” or “5th street” )
8. Last betting round
9. Showdown (Every remaining player shows hand with bettor showing first

RULES OF TEXAS HOLD’EM

1. All remaining players must use one of the following choices at the showdow
2. Two pocket cards & three boardcards
3. One pocket card & four boardcards
4. No pocket cards & five boardcards (called playing the board)

Pineapple
This works exactly the same as Hold’em, except the players each get 3 hole cards and have to discard one hole card before the flop.

Crazy Pineapple
This works exactly the same as Hold’em, except the players each get 3 hole cards and have to discard one hole card after the flop.

OMAHA
Omaha is similar to Texas Hold’em in using a three-card flop on the board, a fourth boardcard, and then a fifth boardcard. Each player is dealt four holecards (instead of two) at the start. In order to make a hand, a player must use precisely two holecards with three boardcards. The betting is the same as in Texas Hold'em. At the showdown, the entire four-card hand should be shown to receive the pot.

The best possible five card poker hand, using exactly two hole cards and three community cards, wins the pot.

Betting Rounds

1. The dealer deals each player their own four cards face-down (pocket cards)
2. 1st betting round
3. The dealer burns a card then turns over three community cards face-up
   (the flop)
4. 2nd betting round
5. The dealer burns another card then turns over 1 more community card (the turn, 4th street)
6. 3rd betting round
7. The dealer burns another card then turns over 1 final community card (the river, 5th street )
8. Last betting round
9. Showdown (Every remaining player shows hand with bettor showing first)

All remaining players must use their two pocket cards and the three boardcards.

RULES OF OMAHA

1. All the rules of Texas Hold’em apply to Omaha except the rule on playing the board, which is not possible in Omaha because you must use two cards from your hand and three cards from the board.

Omaha Hi-Low

RULES OF OMAHA HIGH-LOW

1. All the rules of Omaha apply to Omaha high-low split except as below.
2. A qualifier of 8 high or better for low applies to all high-low split games. If there is no qualifying hand for low, the best high hand wins the whole pot.

7 CARD STUD HI
Seven-card stud is played with two downcards and one upcard dealt before the first betting round, followed by three more upcards (with a betting round after each card), then a final downcard. After the last downcard is dealt, there is a final round of betting. The best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In all fixed-limit games, the smaller bet is wagered on the first two betting rounds, and the larger bet is wagered after the betting rounds on the fifth, sixth, and seventh cards. If there is an open pair on the fourth card, any player has the option of making the smaller or larger bet. OBJECT: The best five card poker hand, out of seven cards, wins the pot.

1. Players must place an ante into the pot.
2. Each player is dealt two cards face-down (hole cards) and one card face-up (door card)
3. 1st betting round
4. Each player is dealt one card face-up (4th street)
5. 2nd betting round
6. Each player is dealt another card face-up (5th street)
7. 3rd betting round
8. Each player is dealt another card face-up (6th street)
9. 4th betting round
10. Each player is dealt a last card face-down (river)
11. Last betting round
12. Showdown (Every remaining player shows hand with bettor showing first)

Players may use any 5 of their 7 cards to make their best hand.

RULES OF SEVEN-CARD STUD

1. The first round of betting starts with a forced bet by the lowest upcard by suit. On subsequent betting rounds, the high hand on board initiates the action (a tie is broken by position, with the player who received cards first acting first).
2. The player with the forced bet has the option of opening for a full bet.
3. Increasing the amount wagered by the opening forced bet up to a full bet does not count as a raise, but merely as a completion of the bet. For example: In $15-$30 stud, the lowcard opens for $5. If the next player increases the bet to $15 (completes the bet), up to three raises are then allowed when using a three-raise limit.
4. In all fixed-limit games, when an open pair is showing on fourth street (second upcard), any player has the option of betting either the lower or the upper limit. For example: In a $5-$10 game, if you have a pair showing and are the high hand, you may bet either $5 or $10. If you bet $5, any player then has the option to call $5, raise $5, or raise $10. If a $10 raise is made, then all other raises must be in increments of $10. If the player high with the open pair on fourth street checks, then subsequent players have the same options that were given to the player who was high.
5. If you are all in for the ante and have the lowcard, the player to your left acts first. That player may fold, open for the forced bet, or open for a full bet.
6. If there are not enough cards left in the deck for all players, all the cards are dealt except the last card, which is mixed with the burncards (and any cards removed from the deck, as in the previous rule). The dealer then scrambles and cuts these cards, burns again, and delivers the remaining downcards, using the last card if necessary. If there are not as many cards as players remaining without a card, the dealer does not burn, so that each player can receive a fresh card. If the dealer determines that there will not be enough fresh cards for all of the remaining players, then the dealer announces to the table that a common card will be used. The dealer will burn a card and turn one card faceup in the center of the table as a common card that plays in everyone’s hand. The player who is now high using the common card initiates the action for the last round.

7 CARD STUD HI-LO
Seven-card stud high-low split is a stud game which is played both high and low. A qualifier of 8-or-better for low applies to all high-low split games.  The low card initiates the action on the first round, with an ace counting as a high card for this purpose. On subsequent rounds, the high hand initiates the action. If the high hand is tied, the first player clockwise from the dealer acts first. Fixed-limit games use the lower limit on third and fourth street and the upper limit on subsequent betting rounds, and an open pair does not affect the limit. Aces may be used for high or low. Straights and flushes do not affect the low value of a hand. A player may use any five cards to make the best high hand, and the same or any other grouping of five cards to make the best low hand.

RULES OF SEVEN-CARD STUD HIGH-LOW

1. All rules for seven-card stud apply to seven-card stud high-low split, except as otherwise noted.
2. A qualifier of 8-or-better for low applies to all high-low split games, unless a specific posting to the contrary is displayed. If there is no qualifying hand for low, the best high hand wins the whole pot.
3. A player may use any five cards to make the best high hand and any five cards, whether the same as the high hand or not, to make the best low hand.
4. The low card by suit initiates the action on the first round, with an ace counting as a high card for this purpose.
5. An ace may be used for high or low.
6. Straights and flushes do not affect the value of a low hand.
7. Fixed-limit games use the lower limit on third and fourth streets and the upper limit on subsequent rounds. An open pair on fourth street does not affect the limit.
8. Splitting pots is only determined by the cards and not by agreement among players.
9. When there is an odd chip amount in a pot, the chip goes to the high hand. If two players split the pot by tying for both the high and the low, the pot shall be split as evenly as possible, and the player with the highest card by suit receives the odd chip. When making this determination, all cards are used, not just the five cards used for the final hand played.
10. When there is one odd chip in the high portion of the pot and two or more high hands split all or half the pot, the odd chip goes to the player with the high card by suit. When two or more low hands split half the pot, the odd chip goes to the player with the low card by suit.

RAZZ A-5
The lowest hand wins the pot. The format is similar to seven-card stud high, except the high card (aces are low) is required to make the forced bet on the first round, and the low hand acts first on all subsequent rounds. Straights and flushes have no ranking, so the best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A (a wheel). An open pair does not affect the betting limit.

RULES OF RAZZ

1. All seven-card stud rules apply in razz except as otherwise noted.
2. The lowest hand wins the pot. Aces are low, and straights and flushes have no effect on the low value of a hand. The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A.
3. The highest card by suit starts the action with a forced bet. The low hand acts first on all subsequent rounds. If the low hand is tied, the first player clockwise from the dealer starts the action.
4. Fixed-limit games use the lower limit on third and fourth streets and the upper limit on subsequent streets. An open pair does not affect the limit.

RAZZ 2-7
The lowest hand wins the pot. The format is similar to seven-card stud high, except the high card (aces are high) is required to make the forced bet on the first round, and the low hand acts first on all subsequent rounds. Straights and flushes have count against you, so the best possible hand is 2,3,4,5,7. An open pair does not affect the betting limit.

RULES OF RAZZ

1. All seven-card stud rules apply in razz except as otherwise noted.
2. The lowest hand wins the pot. Aces are high, and straights and flushes count on the low value of a hand. The best possible hand is 2,3,4,5,7.
3. The highest card by suit starts the action with a forced bet. The low hand acts first on all subsequent rounds. If the low hand is tied, the first player clockwise from the dealer starts the action.
4. Fixed-limit games use the lower limit on third and fourth streets and the upper limit on subsequent streets. An open pair does not affect the limit.

2-7 AND A-5 DRAW AND TRIPLE DRAW
Lowball is draw poker with the lowest hand winning the pot. Each player is dealt five cards facedown, after which there is a betting round. Players are required to open with a bet or fold. The players who remain in the pot after the first betting round now have an option to improve their hand by replacing cards in their hands with new ones. This is the draw. The game is normally played with one or more blinds, sometimes with an ante added.  In limit poker, the usual structure has the limit double after the draw (Northern California is an exception). The most popular forms of lowball are ace-to-five lowball (also known as California lowball), and deuce-to-seven lowball (also known as Kansas City lowball). Ace-to-five lowball gets its name because the best hand at that form is 5-4-3-2-A. Deuce-to-seven lowball gets its name because the best hand at that form is 7-5-4-3-2 (not of the same suit). For a further description of the forms of lowball, please see the individual section for each game.

RULES OF ACE-TO-FIVE LOWBALL

In ace-to-five lowball, the best hand is any 5-4-3-2-A. Straights and flushes do not count against your hand.

RULES OF DEUCE-TO-SEVEN LOWBALL

In deuce-to-seven lowball (sometimes known as Kansas City lowball), in most respects, the worst conventional poker hand wins. Straights and flushes count against you, crippling the value of a hand. The ace is used only as a high card. Therefore, the best hand is 7-5-4-3-2, not all of the same suit. The hand 5-4-3-2-A is not considered to be a straight, but an ace-5 high, so it beats other ace-high hands and pairs, but loses to king-high. A pair of aces is the highest pair, so it loses to any other pair. The rules for deuce-to-seven lowball are the same as those for ace-to-five lowball, except for the following differences:

1. The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of at least two different suits. Straights and flushes count against you, and aces are considered high only.

RULES OF TRIPLE DRAW

Same as before but there are 3 draws and 4 betting rounds.

DRAW POKER
There are two betting rounds, one before the draw and one after the draw. The game is played with a button and an ante. Players in turn may check, open for the minimum, or open with a raise. After the first betting round the players have the opportunity to draw new cards to replace the ones they discard. Action after the draw starts with the opener, or next player proceeding clockwise if the opener has folded. The betting limit after the draw is twice the amount of the betting limit before the draw.

RULES OF DRAW POKER

1. A maximum of a bet and four raises is permitted in multi-handed pots.