Do You Mix Poker Variants or Stick to One Game?

Houbi37

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  • #1
Do you only play NLHE, or do you mix it up with PLO, Stud, H.O.R.S.E., etc.?
I feel like trying other variants can really open your mind as a player.
 
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john_entony

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  • #2
I always enjoy playing Omaha. It's a shame that poker rooms pay so little attention to this variant, as it is no less valuable than Texas Hold'em. As for the other variants, I don't really like playing them. :confused:
 
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veryluckyfish7k

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  • #3
i play MTT NL Holdem mostly, but if i want to mix there are games that i play for fun - MTT PLO, PLO5, ShortDeck.
 
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  • #4
I'm only playing Holdem
I want to be good at one thing
 
Houbi37

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  • #5
john_entony said:
I always enjoy playing Omaha. It's a shame that poker rooms pay so little attention to this variant, as it is no less valuable than Texas Hold'em. As for the other variants, I don't really like playing them. :confused:
I agree, Omaha definitely deserves more attention. It’s such an action-packed and strategic variant, and it’s a shame that many poker rooms don’t support it as much as Hold’em. I also feel like once you really get into Omaha, the other formats don’t feel as fun anymore. Hopefully we’ll see more rooms expand their Omaha offerings in the future
 
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Houbi37

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  • #6
hajaehyun said:
I'm only playing Holdem
I want to be good at one thing
That makes perfect sense. Focusing on one game is often the best way to improve fast. Hold’em has so much depth that mastering it can already take a lifetime, so sticking to it is a solid choice
 
Omar.Imrane

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  • #7
For me, I definitely prefer PLO first, without hesitation. The game has more action, wider possibilities, and every hand feels like a real battle — that’s what I love about it. You really have to stay mentally sharp every second, there’s no time to relax 😅

That doesn’t mean I don’t like NLHE though. On the contrary, I always come back to it because it’s the foundation and more balanced in terms of strategy and long-term decision-making.

In short:
PLO for the fun and excitement, NLHE for the brain and calculations. The perfect combo 👌
 
Becky Eubanks

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  • #8
I love to mix it up, I will play just about any type of poker !!!!
 
RonanPERNA

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  • #9
I only play NLHE. I only play Omaha occasionally.
 
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  • #10
I play 95% No Limit Hold'em and 5% PLO, I used to play Fixed Limit Hold'em too, I don't like the other games.
 
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  • #11
Trying different is probably good to expand the gameplans.I tried Omaha once it was exciting.I stick to NLH because its my prefered choice.
 
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  • #12
I love to mix it up... love variety,

love Omaha especially Hilo, love HORSE, love Badugi,

I do like 6max Holdem too, wish there were more 6 max games👍
 
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  • #13
I mainly focus on NLHE. I play PLO only occasionally, and I don’t play the other variants.
 
marco198121

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  • #14
Only NlHE for me
 
Houbi37

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  • #15
veryluckyfish7k said:
i play MTT NL Holdem mostly, but if i want to mix there are games that i play for fun - MTT PLO, PLO5, ShortDeck.
Sounds like a great mix. Focusing on MTT NL Hold’em makes sense since it’s the most structured and familiar format for most players, but adding in PLO, PLO5, and Short Deck for fun is a nice way to keep the game fresh. Those variants can also help you see situations differently and improve your overall creativity at the table
 
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Houbi37

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  • #16
Omar.Imrane said:
For me, I definitely prefer PLO first, without hesitation. The game has more action, wider possibilities, and every hand feels like a real battle — that’s what I love about it. You really have to stay mentally sharp every second, there’s no time to relax 😅

That doesn’t mean I don’t like NLHE though. On the contrary, I always come back to it because it’s the foundation and more balanced in terms of strategy and long-term decision-making.

In short:
PLO for the fun and excitement, NLHE for the brain and calculations. The perfect combo 👌
Well said — that’s a great way to put it. PLO really does feel like a constant battle with nonstop action, and the range of possibilities makes every hand exciting. But I agree with you on NLHE too; it’s the backbone of poker and offers a level of structure and long-term strategy that PLO can’t replace.
Having both in your rotation really gives you the best of both worlds
 
Houbi37

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  • #17
martDdart said:
Trying different is probably good to expand the gameplans.I tried Omaha once it was exciting.I stick to NLH because its my prefered choice.
That’s totally fair. Trying different variants can definitely help broaden your perspective, but there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the game you enjoy most. NLH is a classic for a reason, and if it’s the format that feels best for you, then that’s where you’ll naturally play your strongest.
 
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  • #18
I stick to holdem
 
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veryluckyfish7k

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  • #19
Houbi37 said:
Sounds like a great mix. Focusing on MTT NL Hold’em makes sense since it’s the most structured and familiar format for most players, but adding in PLO, PLO5, and Short Deck for fun is a nice way to keep the game fresh. Those variants can also help you see situations differently and improve your overall creativity at the table
idk how do u play Stud, H.O.R.S.E., etc, for me it is hard :)
 
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  • #20
I love HORSE and 8- game. I tend to get bored playing NLHE all the time.
 
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  • #21
Variants offer a nice change of pace and I especially enjoy Omaha H/L.
 
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  • #22
I mix online, not live.
 
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  • #23
Mostly Holdem for me, but some Omaha here and there.
 
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  • #24
I really enjoy playing other variants! They are much more fun to play, not all that theory, GTO and solver stuff. Sure, there is an optimal play, but theory for them right now is not as mechanical as hold'em tends to be. Maybe someday we will see solvers for them as well, specially because many of them are fixed limit games, and fixed bet sizes reduce the amount of choices, making it easier to solve, but for right now, when I want to have fun, mixed games are my first choice.

Also, people don't know much what they are doing at the table, one who studies can have a decent win rate if they can find good soft games. Specially when there are series in Pokerstars, people are just crazy in other variants.

And I strongly believe that they made me play better Hold'em as well. Because you start to grasp core poker concepts, not only to play your two cards.
 
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  • #25
When I get a little bored with Hold'em, I sometimes play Omaha, Five Card-Drew.
But these are more for fun, so that I can sit down and play Hold'em again.
 
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