Courchevel Poker Explained

Types of Poker · Game Variations

Named after the French Alpine ski resort where it reportedly originated, Courchevel is a lesser-known Omaha relative that adds a genuinely interesting wrinkle: you get information about the board before you've made a single betting decision.

The Core Rules

Courchevel deals each player five hole cards instead of Omaha's four. Immediately after the deal - before any betting happens at all - one community card is turned face-up. This is the game's signature feature and its biggest departure from every other flop-based poker variant, where the first community cards only appear after an initial betting round.

From there, the hand proceeds much like Omaha: two more community cards complete the "flop" (making three total), followed by a turn and river, with betting rounds after each street. As in Omaha, players must use exactly two of their five hole cards combined with exactly three community cards to build their final five-card hand - you can't use just one hole card, or four, the way you might in Hold'em.

Why the Early Exposed Card Matters

Because one community card is visible before anyone acts, Courchevel's first betting round is unusually information-rich compared to preflop betting in Hold'em or standard Omaha. Players are effectively making a "post-flop-lite" decision on their very first action, weighing their five hole cards specifically against a known board card - a meaningfully different mental process than pure preflop hand evaluation.

High-Only vs. Hi-Lo

Like Omaha, Courchevel is played in two common formats:

• Courchevel High - the single best high hand wins the entire pot
• Courchevel Hi-Lo (Courchevel 8-or-Better) - the pot splits between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand (typically requiring five cards ranked eight or lower), mirroring Omaha Hi-Lo's split-pot structure

Hi-Lo versions add real complexity, since with five hole cards to choose from, players are frequently drawing live to both the high and low sides of the pot simultaneously - successfully reading which way a hand is likely to split becomes a central skill.

Strategy Considerations

Five hole cards mean more combinations, not just more equity

Going from Omaha's four hole cards to Courchevel's five significantly increases the number of possible two-card combinations you can use - this generally increases average hand strength across the table and rewards hands that connect well with a range of possible boards, not just raw high-card value.

Use the exposed card immediately

Because one community card is visible from the very first decision, factor it directly into your initial action - treat it the way you'd treat flop information in Hold'em, not as a minor detail to note and move past.

In Hi-Lo, prioritize hands that can scoop

As in Omaha Hi-Lo, hands capable of winning both the high and low halves of the pot are dramatically more valuable than one-way hands, since a low-only hand that runs into a made high hand often nets far less than the pot's total size might suggest.

Where to Play

Courchevel remains a niche format, most often found in mixed-game rotations or higher-stakes cash games rather than as a standalone table type at most rooms. Check our poker room reviews for current availability.

Frequently Asked Questions