High-Low, Omaha, Hold-Em and Bullshit Taken from http://www.usplayingcard.com/gamerules/poker.html High-Low Poker The basic idea of High-Low Poker is that the best Poker hand and the worst Poker hand split the pot. The original purpose of High-Low was to give holders of poor cards a chance to play. The game was found to be so enjoyable that it now rivals regular Poker in popularity, and it is a staple in Poker clubs and gambling casinos having a Poker room. Forms of High-Low. Any form of Poker may be played high-low, whether or not there are wild cards, but the most popular version for high-low games is Seven-Card Stud. In a high-low game, there are usually two winners, the player with the highest hand taking half the pot and the player with the lowest hand taking the other half. The high hand takes the odd chip if the pot will not divide evenly. In some cases there may be a single winner, as that player wins both the high hand and low hand (see explanation that follows). . Declarations. Some people play a version of High-Low that includes declaring whether they are trying for high, for low, or for both. After the final betting interval, but before the showdown, each player must declare what he is trying for. There are various methods of declaring, and the players should agree in advance which will be used. The most common method is that before any hands are shown, each player decides mentally what he is trying for. If the player decides upon low, he places one chip in his hand without letting the other players see it. He places two chips in his hand if he opts for high, and three chips if he is going for both high and low. When all players have "declared" (decided), they open their hands to reveal how many chips they are holding. If all players have decided the same way; the best hand in that category takes the whole pot. When playing for both high and low, a player mentally selects two five-card hands from among the cards that he holds. (This is the one exception to discarding two cards in Seven-Card Stud prior to the showdown.) If a player claims both high and low, and is tied or beaten on either, he loses any title to the pot. If no one wins in full accordance with his declaration, all declarations are disregarded and the active players divide the pot equally. Rank of Low Hands. Since straights and flushes do not count, the lowest hand, as in Lowball, is 5, 4, 3, 2, A. However, in some high-low games, the ace is always ranked highest, and flushes and straights do count and would interfere with the low hand. In such a case, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 would be the lowest possible hand as long as all five cards were not of the same suit. It is very important for players to agree on what the lowest hand will be in High-Low. It is strongly recommended to allow aces to be high or low and for flushes and straights not to count for low hand. Thus, the wheel or bicycle (5, 4, 3, 2, A) would be the lowest possible hand. With wild cards in a high-low game, any wild card ranks as a "zero", and the lowest hand would be 4, 3, 2, A, "0" in a game where, if there had been no wild cards allowed, the wheel would ordinarily be the lowest hand. Again, it is necessary for players to agree on what the lowest hand will be before play begins. Many experienced players agree that wild cards are best suited for high-hand games only, rather than for games of Lowball or High-Low. High-Low - Eight or Better. In this version, played in Poker parlors and some home games, a qualifier of eight or better is needed for a player to be in contention for the low half of the pot. That is, a player cannot declare for the low hand unless he has a hand no higher than 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Hold Em In recent years, this game has become very high popular in casinos that have Poker rooms. It is considered to require more skill than any other version of Poker. Each player receives two cards face down, and five cards are dealt face down to the center of the table. After the first betting interval, three of the five center cards are turned face up in the center. Then there is a second betting interval, followed by one more center card being turned up. Then there is a third betting interval, and the last center card is turned up. Then there is a final betting round. The player must use his best five cards, taken from the two in his hand and the five turned up in the center of the table. Omaha This game is similar to Hold 'Em, and it is also very popular in American casinos with a Poker room. Each player receives two cards face down and five cards are dealt to the center of the table. There is a betting interval, and the center cards are turned up one by one, with a betting interval after each card is exposed. All players still in the game must make hands of five cards using two cards from their own hand plus three from the five cards in the center. Generally in High-Low Omaha, a qualifier of eight or better is needed for a hand to be in contention for the low half of the pot. Bullshit Each player receives three cards face down. He arranges them in any order desired, but may not thereafter change the order. There is a betting interval. Then each player receives four face-up cards, one at a time, with a betting interval after each. Next, each player turns up his first face-down card, followed by a betting interval, and then his second face-down card, followed by the final betting interval. The last card is then turned up for the showdown. Next Time - Other Exciting Variants... PokerPartyProducts.com Top100pokerwebsites.com Top10pokerwebsites.com Top10pokerproducts.com Top100pokersites.com Top100pokerproducts.com

Source: Poker Rules - For Beginners!