Courchevel Poker

Courchevel is an exciting game derived from Omaha. Each player in a Courchevel game is dealt five private cards (‘hole cards’) that belong only to that player. Five community cards are then dealt face-up on the ‘board’. All players use exactly two cards from their five hole cards in conjunction with exactly three cards from the board to make the best five-card poker hand possible. Visit the poker hands page to view the rankings of hands in Courchevel.

Courchevel is different than 5 Card Omaha in that the first flop card is dealt face-up at the beginning of the hand, before the preflop betting round.

Courchevel can be played in the following formats:

• Limit Courchevel - Specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting.
• Pot Limit Courchevel - Bets are limited to the amount of chips in the pot.
• No Limit Courchevel Poker - A player can bet any amount, up to all of their chips.

In Courchevel, a marker called ‘the button’ or ‘the dealer button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the ‘small blind’, the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the ‘big blind’, which is typically twice the size of the small blind, but the blinds can vary depending on the stakes and betting structure being played.

In Fixed Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a €2/€4 Fixed Limit game the small blind is €1 and the big blind is €2. In a €15/€30 Fixed Limit game, the small blind is €10 and the big blind is €15.

In Pot Limit and No Limit games, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a €1/€2 Courchevel game has a small blind of €1 and a big blind of €2).

Now, each player receives their five hole cards, and the first flop card is dealt face-up on the board. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (immediately clockwise from the big blind).

After seeing his or her hole cards and the initial flop card, each player now has the option to play their hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a ‘live’ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was €2, it would cost €2 to call, or at least €4 to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table.

Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting action in Limit Courchevel, No Limit Courchevel, and Pot Limit Courchevel can be found below.

Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.

After the first round of betting is complete, the remaining two cards of the ‘flop’ are dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all active players. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Another round of betting ensues. In Limit Courchevel, all bets and raises on the flop are in increments of the small bet (for example, €2 in a €2/€4 game).

When betting action is completed for the flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in a Courchevel game. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Another round of betting ensues. In Limit Courchevel, bets and raises on the turn are in increments of the big bet (for example, €4 in a €2/€4 game).

When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in a Courchevel game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. A final betting round ensues.

If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. Remember, in all Courchevel games, players must use two (and only two) of their five hole cards in combination with exactly three cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.

After the pot is awarded, a new Courchevel game is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.

Courchevel rules remain the same for Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions:

• Limit Courchevel
  
  Betting in Limit Courchevel is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are of the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles. In Limit Courchevel, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise).
• Pot Limit Courchevel
  
  The minimum bet in Pot Limit Courchevel is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.
  
  Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as any previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets €5 then the second player must raise a minimum of €5 (total bet of €10).
  
  Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot, plus all bets on the table, plus the amount the active player must first call before raising.
  
  Example: If the size of the pot is €100, and there is no previous action on a particular betting round, a player may bet a maximum of €100. After that bet, the action moves to the next player clockwise. That player can either fold, call €100, or raise any amount between the minimum (€100 more) and the maximum. The maximum bet in this case is €400 - the raiser would first call €100, bringing the pot size to €300, and then raise €300 more, making a total bet of €400.
  
  In Pot Limit Courchevel, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed. 
• No Limit Courchevel
  
  The minimum bet in No Limit Courchevel is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much as they want, up to all of their chips.
  
  Minimum raise: In No Limit Courchevel, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets €5 then the second player must raise a minimum of €5 (total bet of €10).
  
  Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips on the table).
  
  In No Limit Courchevel, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.

In the PokerStars software, it’s not possible to bet less than the minimum or more than the maximum. The bet slider and bet window will only allow you to bet amounts within the allowed thresholds.

If you are unfamiliar with Courchevel, we recommend you try that poker game out to get a feel for how the game is played. You are always welcome to play on the free poker tables at PokerStars, so that you can sharpen your skills before playing real money poker.

Finally, if you like to play other Omaha variants, we recommend you check out 5 Card Omaha or Omaha. Both games are a nice change of pace from the amazingly popular Texas Holdem game, and they also are both available in our poker tournaments selection.

You may also be interested in visiting pages about the poker room in general. You can find information about the following subjects:

• Poker Rules
• Poker Tournaments
• Poker Room FAQ