Joe has been writing full-time about online poker and other forms of gambling since 2016. He has written hundreds of reviews, How-To guides, strategy tips and more, about sports betting, casino gaming, and poker. In his own time Joe is a keen sports bettor, with a particular focus on football, the NBA, and the NFL. He also enjoys playing poker, with Texas Hold'em being his variant of choice.
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Vlad is a gambling expert with more than a decade of experience in the industry. He specializes in iGaming and online poker, having played his fair share of cash games and tournaments over the years, while also reviewing countless events in the pro poker circuit. Vlad has provided expert guides for known publications, such as Casino.org and Covers, and can be found grinding at the best poker sites every now and then.
All posts by Vlad GrinduIf you’re a poker fan looking for something a little different, Irish Poker could represent the perfect choice. It’s something similar to a mixture of Texas Hold’em and Omaha, but there’s a big twist: two of your four hole cards are discarded after the flop.
But what is Irish Poker? Well, on this page we’ll let you know, looking at everything from how to play Irish Poker online, to the best strategy. Once you’ve finished reading, you’ll be ready to hit the tables.
The Best Irish Poker Sites to Play for Real Money
Unfortunately, there aren’t any major online poker sites that currently offer Irish Poker. However, we’ve created a list of the best poker rooms and online casinos that offer other poker games, from Texas Hold’em to video poker variations.
- BetOnline – The number one site for poker fans
- Bovada – Great for fans of Omaha poker
- Everygame– Great welcome bonus
- Ignition – Fantastic place to play Texas hold’em
- Sportsbetting.ag– Lots of poker tournaments
- Wild Casino – Giant range of cryptocurrencies accepted
- MyBookie – Offers fantastic video poker games
- Cafe Casino – Impressive 250% welcome bonus
- MyB Casino – Offers many enjoyable table games
- Las Atlantis – Welcome package worth up to $14,000
Comparison of the Best Irish Poker Sites
Looking to find out more about the sites we’ve recommended above? If so, check out this table, which takes a closer look at the top five online poker sites in the US.
Irish Poker Free Irish Poker Texas Hold’em Omaha Min/Max Stakes Poker Welcome Bonus BetOnline ❌
❌ ✅ ✅ $0.05/$0.10 – $5/$10 100% up to $1,000 Bovada ❌
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✅ ✅ $0.02/$0.05 – $10/$20 100% up to $500 Everygame ❌
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✅ ✅ $0.02/$0.05 – $10/$20 200% up to $1,000 Ignition ❌
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$0.02/$0.05 – $10/$20 150% up to $1,500 Sportsbetting.ag ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅ $0.05-$0.10 – $15/$30 100% up to $1,000 How to Play Irish Poker Online
If you are interested in finding out more about how to play Irish Poker online, we have you covered. You’ll be glad to hear it’s really not all that complicated. Take a look at the rules for Irish Poker below.
1. Place Blinds
One player will have the button. The person to the left places the small blind, and the next player to the left places the big blind. The big blind is generally double the small blind. Other players don’t need to bet before receiving their hole cards.
2. Hole Cards Are Dealt
Next, each player receives their hole cards. As in Omaha, each player receives four cards, all of which are private to them.
3. First Betting Round
The first betting round takes place, starting with the player to the left of the big blind. Options are call, raise, or fold. The game progresses when everyone has bet the same amount or folded.
4. Community Cards Dealt
Three cards are now dealt into the middle of the table, face up. These can be used by everyone to create their hand.
5. Second Betting Round
The second betting round takes place. The first player to act is the player to the left of the button. Players can check, call, raise, or fold, depending on the situation.
6. Discard Two Hole Cards
Now comes the twist that makes Irish Poker unique. Once betting has finished, each player will need to discard two of their hole cards. From this moment onwards, the game plays in exactly the same way as Texas Hold’em.
7. Fourth Community Card Dealt
The fourth community card, known as the turn, is then dealt. There are now four community cards, plus each player has two hole cards.
8. Third Betting Round
The third betting round takes place. The format of this round of betting is exactly the same as the second round of betting.
9. Fifth Community Card Dealt
The fifth and final community card, called the river, is dealt. You can now see all cards and will therefore know the exact strength of your final hand.
10. Final Round of Betting
Now, the final round of betting starts. This works in exactly the same way as the second and third rounds of betting.
11. Showdown
If more than one player is remaining after the final round of betting, they will show their hands. The player with the best five-card poker hand will win the money in the pot.
Once the hand has concluded, the button moves one place to the left and a new hand begins.
Play Free Irish Poker Online
Playing a new game can be daunting, especially when you’re spending money to do so. This is why it’s best to play for free at first, until you understand the rules and have developed some basic strategies.
We recommend that everyone plays the Irish Poker card game for free before risking their own money. Take some time to understand the structure of the game, develop your Irish Poker strategy, and recognize which hands to play and which to fold. The downside is that practice Irish Poker tables are hard to come by since this isn’t the most popular variant.
When you move to real money play, the game will follow the same structure as when playing for free. However, be aware that people are often looser with they’re betting in free games. As a result, real money Irish online poker has far more cautious players. You can practice free poker games at Bovada.
Irish Poker Hand Rankings
Irish Poker uses standard poker hand rankings, which are also found in many other poker variations, including Texas Hold’em and Omaha. If you’re not familiar with the rankings, take a look at them below.
- Royal Flush – A hand featuring 10-J-Q-K-A, all the same suit. This is the strongest hand and can’t be beaten.
- Straight Flush – A hand with five consecutive cards except those used in a royal flush. For example, 4-5-6-7-8, all the same suit.
- Four of a Kind – When you have four cards of the same value, plus one other card, called the kicker. For example, A-A-A-A-K.
- Full house – This hand features three cards of one value, along with two cards of another value. For example, A-A-A-K-K.
- Flush – A hand containing five cards of any values, all the same suit. For example, 4-5-8-10-K, all diamonds.
- Straight – This is a hand with five consecutive cards, such as 2-3-4-5-6. However, they can’t be the same suit – if they are, you’ve got a royal flush or straight flush instead.
- Three of a Kind – A hand featuring three cards, all the same value, plus two kickers. For example, 7-7-7-10-A.
- Two Pair – This hand has two pairs of identical cards, along with a kicker. For example, 10-10-A-A-K.
- Pair – A hand containing two cards of identical value, plus three kickers. For example, A-A-5-7-8.
- High Card – When you have none of the above hands, your hand is ranked by its highest card. For example, you’d have “king high” with K-10-9-7-5.
But what happens when two players have the same hand ranking? If this happens, the player with the higher cards will win. For example, if one player has A-A-A-2-2 and another has K-K-K-10-10, the first player wins, as aces are higher than kings.
What Are the Irish Poker Odds?
Irish Poker doesn’t have exact odds. This is because, unlike most versions of casino poker, you are playing against other players and not against the casino. As a result, there’s a large element of skill to the game. Essentially, the better you are, the higher your chances are of winning. However, luck plays a role too.
At some point, you will have to consider pot odds, which show you whether making a specific play makes mathematical sense. However, this is for advanced players, so we won’t go into the topic on this page about the card game Irish Poker for beginners.
The Best Irish Poker Strategy
Once you start understanding the intricacies of the Irish Poker game, you’ll see that there is plenty of strategy to consider. In fact, it will take years to refine your own strategy and develop a way to consistently come out on top.
However, there’s one Irish Poker strategy that all new players should adhere to: play like a rock. This means you should play incredibly tightly, only entering hands when you have strong hole cards. Be prepared to fold far more often than you call.
Playing tight also means that you should rarely bluff. Bluffing is a skill that even the best players regularly get wrong, so it’s best to avoid it. Don’t believe the movies: successful bluffing is something that only happens occasionally in poker.
Top 5 Tips on How to Win at Irish Poker
As already mentioned, there are many things to consider when playing Irish poker. Below we’ve listed five of the most important tips to remember when you start playing the game online for real money.
1. Begin Playing for Free
The first important tip has already been mentioned on this page: you absolutely must play for free at first. Doing so will give you the chance to learn the Irish Poker rules – a process that can prove expensive when done at real money tables.
Once you’ve become familiar with the rules, you can then progress to real money play. However, remember that the quality of the opponents increases as you bet larger sums. So, even if you’ve got plenty of money, start at very low stakes.
2. Always Use Bankroll Management
This point is probably the most boring one, but also one of the most important. Quite simply, you must use bankroll management when gambling online. This means you should only risk a small percentage of your bankroll in every playing session.
But why shouldn’t you put all your money on the table when playing? Well, because when you do that, one bit of bad luck can see you lose everything. Risking small amounts means that you’re giving luck a chance to even out.
3. Use Position to Your Advantage
Next up, you must understand how to use position to your advantage. This is the case for all forms of poker. Quite simply, the later you are to act, the bigger your advantage, as you can see what’s happening and react accordingly.
Consider your position carefully before committing to a pot. Only play the very strongest starting hands if you’re acting early. However, you can be slightly more adventurous with your starting hands when you’re one of the last to act.
4. Only Play Irish Poker
There are many types of online poker, but as a new player, you should concentrate only on Irish Poker – don’t try playing other Irish Poker variants, or indeed any other poker types. Concentrate on one game and become as good as possible.
Only once you’ve worked out how to play Irish Poker at a high level should you consider looking into other games. Texas Hold’em and Omaha would be the obvious choices, as they both have many similarities with Irish Poker.
5. Understand the Math
Mathematics plays a huge role in online poker. Quite simply, to become a strong player, you need to have a head for numbers. Doing so will ensure you can always work out the rough probability of cards hitting and whether calling a raise is worth doing.
The two most important aspects to investigate and understand fully are pot odds and pot equity. These are used by all experienced players, so not understanding them will leave you at a huge disadvantage. Don’t play for high stakes until you’ve mastered them.
Playing Irish Poker on Mobile
More and more people are choosing to play poker using their mobile device. Whether you own an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, you’ll be able to play poker online, plus you’ll be able to take part in the same cash games and tournaments as desktop players.
There are a couple of ways to play Irish Poker using a mobile. The first is to head to your chosen site using a mobile browser. The other option is to download poker apps. Both offer convenient ways to play, and personal preference will dictate which you choose.
However, we do have a small word of warning about mobile poker. You’ll find that the smaller screens make playing the game slightly tougher, and mis-clicks are common. So, play slowly if you do decide to join an Irish Poker table on a mobile device.
More on Poker…
Looking to find out more about the various types of poker you’ll come across online? If so, check out the links below, which will take you to some of our most popular poker pages.
- Video poker casinos – A detailed guide to the best casinos for video poker.
- Deuces Wild video poker – Learn how to play the popular Deuces Wild game.
- Offshore Poker Sites – Best Offshore Poker Sites for US Players make it possible to enjoy real money online poker.
Best Irish Poker Site in the US
Irish Poker is an unusual form of the game, but one that offers a huge amount of enjoyment. However, you won’t find it at any of our top sites. Instead, head to a site we recommend and play something similar, such as Texas Hold’em or Omaha. You can also check out the online casinos for other poker variants.
You’ll find that BetOnline has the best overall poker offering, combining busy poker rooms with some great poker bonuses. New players can instantly benefit from a welcome bonus that can be worth up to $1,000. Why not head over there and start playing today?
FAQs
Are aces high or low in Irish Poker?
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How to play Irish poker?
