HOLD'EM GAMES GENERALLY.
By definition a Hold'em game is a community card game (this term is used interchangeably with board game) where all players receive private hole cards, and then play those together with community cards spread in the center of the table, on the "board." In public cardrooms there are always five board cards, although in many variations found in home games there are more community cards. The first betting round takes place after the hole cards are dealt and before any community cards are dealt.
THE DEAL; BETTING ROUNDS.
In all forms of Hold'em spread in public cardrooms the players first receive their private hole cards followed by a betting round. The dealer then burns a card and deals three cards in the center of the board known as the flop. After the flop there is a betting round. Then the dealer burns again and turns a single card on board, known as the turn card. In limit games the stakes generally double on the turn. After the turn card is dealt there is a betting round. The dealer burns and deals the final board card, known as the river, followed by a betting round and then the showdown. Thus, hold'em games have five board cards shared by all players and the pot is built over four betting rounds.
THE DEALER BUTTON; ORDER OF PLAY.
A flat disk known as the dealer button (usually referred to just as "the button") determines the order of the deal and action on each betting round. This disk designates the player who shall be deemed the dealer for the hand. The player with the dealer button is the last to receive cards on the initial deal, and shall have the privilege of last action on each round of betting during the course of the hand, except on the first round where the blinds get to act last. Since this is a significant strategic advantage in poker (and the corollary is true -- the obligation of first action is a disadvantage) Caro & Cooke's Rules are constructed so that the button shall whenever possible be advanced one active player after the conclusion of each hand. (See Article 12 of Caro & Cooke's Rules relating to the blinds and dealer button for more details.) The first card is dealt to the player immediately to the left of the dealer button. Action proceeds clockwise from the "dealer" who has the button.
BLINDS.
Betting is initiated on the first round by blind bets put into the pot before the players see their cards. In limit games, the blinds typically (although not always) constitute one-third to two-thirds of a small bet for the blind posted by the player immediately to the left of the dealer button and a full small bet by the player two to the left of the dealer button (Where feasible, the small blind is half a small bet and the big blind a full small bet; i.e. in a $20-$40 game, the small blind would be $10 and the big blind would be $20; in a $15-$30 game the small blind can be $5 or $10.) While this is the most common arrangement for blind posting, it is by no means the only one. (See recommended blind structures set forth at Appendix A.) The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the last player to post a blind bet, who may call the blind bet, fold or raise. On subsequent rounds, the first active player clockwise from the button acts first, followed by each player to his left until action for the betting round is completed.
TEXAS HOLD'EM.
When Hold'em is referred to without further qualification, it generally means Texas Hold'em, the most popular and widely spread form of the game.
BOARD GAME RULES APPLY.
The game is never played for low in public cardrooms and rarely played high-low split. In Texas Hold'em, all the previous rules relating to community card games apply.
TWO HOLE CARDS.
A player receives exactly two hole cards on the initial deal to play with the five cards on the board in making his best possible five card hand.
PLAY ZERO, ONE OR TWO.
A player may use zero, one or two cards from his hand together with any combination of cards from the board to make his best possible five card hand.
PLAYING THE BOARD.
If a player uses zero cards from his hand and uses instead all five cards on the board, he is said to be playing the board. A player who wishes to play the board at showdown must declare this intention, and turn his two private hole cards face-up on the table. A player who throws his hand away without showing it forfeits his interest in the pot if the cards hit the muck without being turned over. As in other poker situations, both cards must be shown at the showdown to be awarded a pot, or part of a pot. This ensures that a player has the proper number of cards in his hand and there are no irregularities that would void the hand. It also avoids disputes as to whether a hand is eligible to win the pot and whether a player had in fact folded before the last betting round. (Alternate Rule. A player may discard his hand face down after announcing his intention to play the board. A problem with this rule is that if a player announces his intention softly or forgets to announce it a dispute may arise whether he is eligible for a share of the pot.)
OMAHA HOLD'EM
PROCEDURES SAME AS TEXAS HOLD'EM.
In Omaha Hold'em (generally referred to as Omaha or Omaha High) all the previous rules relating to community card games and Texas Hold'em apply, except as set forth herein. The betting structure, blinds, deal and all other procedures are exactly the same as in Texas Hold'em. Omaha Hold'em is played by exactly the same rules as Texas Hold'em, with two differences, as hereinafter set forth.
NUMBER OF CARDS.
Each player is dealt four downcards on the initial deal, rather than two as in Texas Hold'em.
TWO FROM HAND, THREE FROM BOARD.
Instead of playing zero, one or two hole cards as in Texas Hold'em, in Omaha Hold'em a player MUST play exactly two cards from his hand and exactly three cards from the board to make a hand. Because of this rule it is not possible to play the board in Omaha.
SHOWDOWN.
At the Showdown, a player must show all four of his cards to win the pot. If he verbally misdeclares his hand, and has a better hand than he declares using different cards, then the dealer shall point this out if he notices it, but the dealer's failure to notice it shall not entitle a player to play the higher hand. A player does not need to declare which two cards from his hand he chooses to play. The dealer shall assist any player in reading of hands if the player is unsure of what his best five card hand is or if he misreads what his best hand is. The essence of this rule is the long-standing poker tradition that cards speak. See Article 11 of Caro & Cooke's Rules relating to the showdown of hands and awarding the pot.
OMAHA WITH A KILL.
Omaha is often played with a Kill, so that a player who wins two pots in a row must kill the subsequent pot. See Article 8 of Caro & Cooke's Rules relating to kill pot games for more details.
OMAHA HOLD'EM, HIGH-LOW SPLIT
(a.k.a. Omaha Eight-or-Better.) Omaha is most commonly spread in public card-rooms as a split pot game, high-low split.
PROCEDURES SAME AS OMAHA HOLD'EM HIGH.
Omaha High-Low Split is played exactly the same way as Omaha, except that the pot is divided equally between the best possible high hand and the best possible low hand.
TIED HANDS.
If there is a tie for either the high or the low, the high or low portion of the pot is divided in exactly the same manner as any other tied pot would be.
QUALIFIERS.
A qualifier of eight-or-better for low is required in all Omaha High-Low Split games, unless a table sign to the contrary advises otherwise. If there is no hand that qualifies for the low half of the pot, then the high hand wins the whole pot. A player can use one combination of cards to make a high hand and the same or any different combination to make a low hand, but shall always be limited by the Omaha Rule that two cards from the hand and three from the board shall be played in each case.
PLAYED WITH A KILL.
Omaha High-Low Split is often played with a Kill, so that a player who scoops by winning both the high and low parts of the pot in a single hand must kill the subsequent pot. (See Article 8.)
THREE CARD BOARD GAMES.
THREE CARD GAMES GENERALLY.
In a few public cardrooms, three card hold'em games are spread. The Board contains five cards just as in all other Board games. Except as set forth, all rules of Texas Hold'em apply.
PINEAPPLE.
Players receive three hole cards as opposed to two in Texas Hold'em or four in Omaha Hold'em. After the initial betting round, but before the Dealer burns and turns the flop, each player must discard one card into the muck.
CRAZY PINEAPPLE.
This is played exactly the same as Pineapple, except that Players discard their third hole card after the dealer has burned and turned the flop, but before commencement of the second betting round.
TAHOE.
This played exactly the same as Texas Hold'em, except that players are dealt three hole cards, none of which they discard. Although players have three hole cards, they may not play all three cards from their hands. Rather, as in Texas Hold'em, they must play zero, one or two cards from their hands.
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