Are you up for a Texas Hold’em variation? Look no further than Irish Poker. This game will be easy for Texas Hold’em fans to follow along and can use similar poker strategies.
This game of course has its twists, but you will not be as surprised by them as other games have in their variations. We have you covered with this Irish Poker guide.
Quick Tips For Irish Poker Strategy
Before playin lg your first hand in Irish, you should probably get some tips first. This way you can have the best strategy going forward.
Even though this game does favor Texas Hold’em, it is not the same game. Your betting strategy for Hold’em is going to be slightly different than Irish.
Of course you always want to practice your strategy to make sure it is at its best. Other tips include understanding the rules, best hands to play, and relying on smart financial bets.
Understand The Rules
Even though you might have Texas Hold’em Rules down, Irish will have a slight change to it. So it is important that you know about the changes and what to do with them.
For this game, everyone will be dealt 4 cards face down. These are your hole or pocket cards. Then a betting round will begin with the player to the left of the dealer which will be a small blind and then a big bling by the next player.
Next, the dealer will “burn” or discard one card off the top of the deck and flip over 3 cards to the middle of the table. These cards are everyone’s community cards to be used later at showdown to make the best hand. Everyone bets again but this is where the twist comes into play.
Before the fourth card is dealt on the table, everyone must discard 2 of their hole cards they were dealt. The game will proceed once everyone has 2 hole cards.
The game continues on with a betting round and then followed on with the fifth and final card on the table. Everyone will bet and the showdown will begin with the players who are still in the game. The best 5 card hand wins.
Best Hands To Play
The best hand to play for Irish Poker is very similar to what hands you would want in Texas Hold’em. The game is basically the same setup but with a slight opportunity to make your hand better with the extra 2 hole cards in the beginning.
High card hands are of course the lowest ranked hands and a royal flush is the best. Hitting somewhere in the middle is a great start.
For example, a three of a kind would be an excellent strength hand. This is more likely to be achieved in this game versus Texas Hold’em because of the extra 2 cards in your hand at first.
Making Smart Bets
Depending on what your bankroll situation is will determine how you need to be betting each time. You also need to see how the other players are betting to get a feel for how strong their hands are.
If you think that you typically bet too much or too heavy, try setting yourself a budget or limit to what your max bets are per hand. This way you can stay on a schedule and not overdo it.
Some other players can bluff more easily in this game, you have the option to do so as well. However, this could potentially cost you more money since you are trying to draw in other players to your bluff.