Courchevel
Also known as: Courchevel Hi, Courchevel Hi-Lo, 5-Card Omaha with door card
A five-card Omaha variant in which the first flop card (the 'door card') is exposed immediately after the hole cards are dealt, before the pre-flop betting round. The extra pre-flop information sharply changes starting hand values. Played both high-only and as a hi-lo 8-or-better split.
Quick Rules
- Each player is dealt 5 hole cards face down.
- One community card is exposed before pre-flop betting.
- The remaining two flop cards are dealt after the pre-flop betting round, then the turn and river as usual.
- Players MUST use exactly 2 hole cards and exactly 3 community cards.
- Hi-lo split (8-or-better) is a common optional rule and must be agreed before the deal.
Strategy Notes
The door card is the whole game: hands that connect with it (pairing it, suiting it, or wrapping around it) rise dramatically in value, and hands that ignore it should mostly be folded. An exposed ace crushes low-oriented holdings in the hi-lo version. Pre-flop ranges are much narrower than in blind five-card Omaha because everyone is pricing the same known card.
Home Game Tips
A natural next step for groups already comfortable with 5-card Omaha — the only new rule is the exposed door card. As with any five-card game, 9-handed play leaves no cards for burns, so cap at 8 or agree to deal without burning. State clearly at the start whether you are playing high-only or hi-lo.
No dedicated game type. Use PLO-5; the exposed door card and any hi-lo split are dealer-managed.
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