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Poker Variations


We have given a brief resume of each variant below along with some links to our additional poker resources pages where you can find out more information.

Omaha

To be honest, if you can play Hold’em, you’ll pick Omaha up in no time at all. If your Hold’em is a little rusty, we suggest a quick refresher course by using our how to play Texas Hold’em guide. You should then come back to this page to find out the variations in Omaha.

Like Texas Hold’em, Omaha is a community card game where your one and only aim is to make the best five card hand that you can from the cards you’re given and the cards that are dealt face up in the centre of the table. So far so good, just like Hold’em you say. But whoa, hold on there, as this is where it all gets a little bit different…

As you’ll know, in Texas Hold’em each player receives two cards that only they can see (their “hole cards”) before the five community cards are dealt face up. In Omaha, each player is dealt four hole cards. Before you think whoopy-do, there’s a catch. Unlike Hold’em, where you can use any combination of hole and community cards to make your best five card hand, in Omaha you must use two of your hole cards and three community cards when making your hand. So, just to recap, as this is important: when making your five card hand, you must use two of your four hole cards, and three of the five community cards. Voila!

Apart from that, the game follows the same patterns as Texas Hold’em, with the same blind structure and betting rounds. If you’re not sure about all that, you’ll get everything you need to know in our how to play Texas Hold’em guide.

Omaha Hi/Lo

Omaha High/Low is an interesting variation of Omaha poker that allows for two winning hands to share the pot; the best high hand, and the best low hand. If you’re not sure how to play Omaha, we recommend that you quickly read our tutorial here before coming back to this.
For a hand to qualify for the low hand, it must consist of five unpaired cards with the highest being no greater than an 8. The winning low hand is determined by the player with the lowest high-card if you see what we mean, and in the event of a tie the next lowest high-card is used and so on. In the event of a tie where the two hands cannot be separated, each player receives a quarter of the pot.

Some more rules of Omaha High/Low:

- If there is no qualifying low hand then the best high hand wins the entire pot.
- One player can win the entire pot by having the best high hand and the best low hand (for example, A-2-3-4-5 or 2h-3h-5h-6h-8h).
- Aces count as both high and low.
- Players may use different cards to form their high hand and their low hand, or they can use the same cards.
- Again, as in Omaha, each player must use precisely two hole cards and three board cards to make their best five card hand.

Seven Card Stud

Seven Card Stud is a popular, well-known form of poker. It is played with up to eight players at the table. Players receive 7 cards, 3 “down” cards and 4 “up” cards. Your hand is determined by using the best five of seven cards.

The rounds
There are five betting rounds in Seven Card Stud. One bet and three raises are allowed on each betting round. To continue to play, players must call all action to them on each street or betting round (unless they are all-in).

1) Everyone antes (puts a predetermined amount in the pot before the cards are dealt). This amount is based on the size of the game.

2) Each player is dealt three cards (two “down” cards and one “up” card). The “up” card is also known as the “door card” or “Third Street”. The lowest “up” card must initiate the action with a “Bring-In” bet. (If two or more players have the same lowest card, the person who brings it in is determined by suit order progressing from clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.)

3) Upon completion of the first round of betting, another card is dealt face-up to each player that still remains in the pot (those who didn’t fold on “third street”). This is “Fourth Street” (the second round of betting). From “Fourth Street” on, the highest hand showing begins the action by checking or betting.

4) If a pair is showing on “Fourth Street”, players have the option to make a single or double bet. If your opponent makes a single bet, you may call, raise a single bet, raise a double bet, or fold. If your opponent makes a double bet and you wish to raise, you may only raise an equal amount.)

5) Upon completion of the betting on “fourth street”, another card is dealt face-up to those who remain in the pot. This is called “Fifth Street” (the third round of betting - which doubles - and continues at this amount for the remaining betting rounds). The highest hand showing again starts the action by checking or betting.

6) Upon the completion of betting on “fifth street”, another card is dealt face-up. This is “Sixth Street” (fourth betting round).

7) The final card is dealt down. The last card is also known as the “River Card” or “Seventh Street” (final round of betting).

8) Upon completion of the final round of betting, the best hand wins the pot. The pot may also be won by someone who bets without being called at any time during the hand.

Note: Very seldom, a situation occurs where there are not enough cards left in the deck to give each player their own river card. In this event, the dealer will turn one board card face-up and it will be used as a community card.

The antes, bring-ins, and betting limits are determined by the size of the game (the bigger the game, the bigger the ante and bring-in).

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo is a popular split-pot game.
It is played with up to eight players at the table. Players receive 7 cards, 3 down cards and 4 up cards. Your hand(s) are determined by using the best 5 of 7 cards for your high hand and your best 5 of 7 cards for your low hand (if you qualify for Low).

The rounds
The game is played like Seven Card Stud (with the exception that you cannot make a double bet on Fourth Street if a pair is showing). If someone qualifies for Low, the pot is split.

There is no qualifying on the High side - the best hand automatically wins half the pot and could win the whole pot. To win the Low side, however, you have to qualify.
To qualify for the Low half of the pot you need a five-card hand with different numerical values from Ace through eight (with the Ace being the lowest value). The best Low hand is A,2,3,4,5 (also known as the wheel or bicycle). The winning Low hand is the one with the lowest high card in it. If two or more players qualify for Low but have the same highest card, the second lowest high card (and if necessary progressing down to the third, fourth, or fifth lowest high card) would be the winning hand. For example, a 2,3,4,6,8 would be a better Low hand than an A,2,4,7,8.

Important
Straights and flushes do NOT count against you on the Low side. You may use any combination of cards for the High hand or the Low hand or you may use the same cards for both the High and Low sides.

Split pots
Any leftover odd chip goes to the High hand. If two or more players tie for the High side of the pot and there is an odd chip, the player with the highest card in their hand is awarded the odd chip. (If they have the same high valued card, the suit takes preference going from Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs.) If two or more players tie for the Low side of the pot and there is an odd chip, that chip is awarded to the player with the lowest card in their hand. (If they have the same lowest card, the suit takes preference in the order of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades). When a player scoops a pot, they win the whole pot.

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