Courchevel Rules

Courchevel is a variant of Omaha, popular in France and played elsewhere in Europe, including the UK. The object is to win the pot with the best hand at showdown, or by making a bet that no other player calls.

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck with no jokers and no wild cards. Hands are ranked according to the standard poker hand rankings.

Each player receives five hole cards. Between two and eight players may take part; nine players would need more cards than the deck can supply once the board and burn cards are dealt.

The button, blinds and order of action are the same as in Omaha. The player to the left of the button posts the small blind and the next player to the left posts the big blind.

The dealer deals five hole cards to each player, one at a time, face down and clockwise, starting with the small blind.

The dealer then deals one community card face up in the centre of the table. This card is the first card of the flop, and it is seen by every player before the first betting round.

After the first betting round, the dealer burns a card and deals two more community cards face up. Together with the first card these form a three-card flop.

The turn and the river are then dealt, each after a burn card, with a betting round after each, exactly as in Omaha.

The game is usually played pot-limit. Other structures may be used; see betting structures.

Each player's hand shall be made from exactly two of their five hole cards and exactly three of the five community cards.

The three unused hole cards and the two unused community cards have no effect on the value of the hand.

Because the first community card is known before any betting, players can judge how their hole cards combine with it when deciding whether to play the hand.

The order of showing and the other showdown procedures are the same as in Omaha. The last player to bet or raise on the river shows first; if the river was checked through, the first active player to the left of the button shows first.

The cards speak. A player who shows all five hole cards is entitled to the best hand those cards can make under Rule 4.1.

The best hand wins the pot. Identical five-card hands split the pot equally.

Courchevel is also played high-low eight-or-better, using the low rules of Omaha Hi-Lo. A qualifying low has five cards of different ranks, none higher than an eight, and aces count low.

In the high-low game the pot is split equally between the best high hand and the best qualifying low. If no player has a qualifying low, the best high hand wins the whole pot.

The dealer or the venue shall announce before play whether the game is high only or high-low.