Online poker is one of the most exciting games in the world, with Texas Hold’em tournaments held across the internet and in person in numerous countries. Furthermore, it’s become a spectator sport. People want to tune in and watch the best players in the world go up against each other and win.
Poker as a game is about luck, strategy, probabilities, and emotions. These elements come together in an unexpected way to make it more thrilling than you might think.
However, it also takes a lot of practice. People don’t become poker masters for years, and sometimes, it can take a lifetime.
Fortunately, there are numerous other games you can play instead of competitive poker. These card games are often just as detailed, but they don’t have the same competitive element as poker, which is far harder than ever before to win online.
So which games out there should you try?
Solitaire
Solitaire is the best option for people who want to avoid opponents and pressure. This unique card game is one you set up yourself, aiming to stack cards on piles in descending order.
Secondly, it also offers skills for poker. It makes you better at pattern recognition and helps you evaluate the quality of hands. Interestingly, most of today’s top poker players began experimenting with solitaire in the 1990s when it first came to computers.
You can play solitaire anywhere online, and multiple free sites are available. If you want to play with real cards, you need enough space on a table or a flat surface to lay everything out.
Gin Rummy
Another option is gin rummy. This game has two players, and the idea is to form sets of “runs,” as some people like to call them.
What’s nice about this game is that it introduces you to some poker-like elements of strategy, but not the full game, making it more manageable and bite-sized. Gin rummy still requires quite a bit of planning and evaluation, but it’s not quite at the level of poker, which involves more randomness and makes it more challenging to know what opposing players are going to do next.
The main benefit of gin rummy is how it improves players’ ability to manage their own hands, and anticipate the hands of other players. During the game, you have to think carefully about the cards opposing players might hold, which is similar to what you have to do in poker to win.
If there are more than two people, you can also play regular rummy, usually up to four players (because of the limits of deck size). Again, the idea is to create runs, place cards on the table, and ensure that other players can’t complete their sets. This requires tracking where cards are (including in other players’ hands). But because there are more of them, this part of the process is much harder.
Spades
Spades is also an option for players looking to warm up a bit before getting into professional poker. This game is interesting because it is team-based, with the idea to create “tricks” or sets and then bid for other cards.
The structure of spades makes it a nice poker alternative, but like rummy, it doesn’t quite have the complexity of Texas Hold’em. With that said, it is still a useful game for introducing poker-related concepts like bidding and risk assessment. The game forces players to determine the likely outcome of bids without full knowledge of the underlying cards.
You could call spades a “stepping stone” toward competitive poker. These days, it’s available online or if you’re with a group of friends. You can also play it competitively against real people on the internet if you’re sick of going up against a computerized banker.
Blackjack
Blackjack is another classic game. It’s quite simple compared to poker but still teaches some of the basic, simple concepts.
The idea in blackjack is to beat the dealer to a total card score of 21. Usually, you start with two cards randomly drawn from the pack, with the dealer providing a total. For example, if you have the 3 of clubs and 7 of diamonds, that takes you to 10. Then, you ask the dealer to add another card to your pile, hoping that it will equal 21.
Let’s say you draw a 5 of clubs, so your score is 1,5 and the dealer doesn’t hit 21. Then, you would hope your next card would be a six of any suit because that would land you right on the money.
Of course, most games don’t end like this. The majority wind up with the player falling short of 21 before quitting, while some get too excited and keep asking for cards, even when close to 21 (any score over 18).
Ultimately, blackjack is a simple game, but it teaches concepts like the risk-reward balance, which is critical for poker. While players might want to take on bets that make significant winnings more likely, it’s not always wise, given the probability of loss.
The most dangerous point in blackjack occurs when players are within 9 points of 21 (so they already have a score of 12). Whereas 11 is a great number to be on since kings, queens, and jacks all score 10 in this game (for a total of 21), the same is true when a player is on 12, and 16 cards can take them over the 21 limit.
This quirk in the probabilities makes it more challenging for players to know whether they should proceed, given the odds.
Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights is another option. The idea here is to match suits and ranks with eights wild.
This game seems chaotic when you first play it, but the stakes are low, and it doesn’t come with the same gravitas as poker. After a few rounds, you’ll understand what it’s about.
The main thrust of the game is to gather information as rapidly as possible. You have to adapt quickly and respond to situations as they develop without running out of time.
Hearts
Hearts is another trick-taking game that asks you to avoid specific cards, like the Queen of Spades. Usually, you need four players for this game, making it a little impractical. And you have to get used to the idea of passing cards to the player beside you. But once you move through these challenges, it can be a lot of fun.
Why does it matter for competitive poker? Because, again, it teaches you to pay attention to what other players do with their cards. Keeping track of their hands is critical for understanding which card you should pass next.
The game of hearts works because each player must decide which card to pass on. Sometimes, there’s an obvious choice, but it may not always be the best option if it means the next player can form a trick. As such, it requires careful thought and strategy.
Conclusion
So there you have it: some of the games you play if you want to ease yourself into competitive poker. None of these games will prepare you for Texas Hold’em, but they can build up the elemental building blocks, like strategy and considering what other players will do in the context of your personal actions.
Of course, the best way to learn poker is just to play the game. But if you want to get a head start and a more rounded view of card games in general, learning other options, including the more advanced versions, can be helpful.