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Omaha family

Crossing the Border poker rules

2 to 3 to 4 Cards / Finish as Omaha

Hole cards
2 to 4
Board
1 community board
Betting
Pot-Limit
Players
2-7 players
Pot
High hand
Family
Omaha family

What is Crossing the Border?

Crossing the Border starts like Hold'em and ends like Omaha. You begin with two private cards, receive one more private card when the flop is dealt and another with the turn, and hold four from the turn onward.

No extra card arrives on the river. Showdown follows Omaha rules: exactly two of your four hole cards plus exactly three community cards.

Pot-Limit, 2-7 players; a natural bridge for Hold'em players learning to read Omaha hands.

Starting cards

2 -> 3 -> 4 private cards. Finish as Omaha.

How to play

  1. Start with 2 private cards, then preflop betting.
  2. Deal the community flop. Each active player receives ONE additional PRIVATE card (now 3), then flop betting.
  3. Deal the community turn. Each active player receives ONE additional PRIVATE card (now 4), then turn betting.
  4. Deal the river. NO additional hole card; keep 4. River betting, then showdown.

Showdown

Use EXACTLY 2 hole cards + EXACTLY 3 community cards from the evaluated board. You cannot play the board or use 1, 3, or 4 hole cards.

Hand rankings in Crossing the Border

High Hand

  1. Royal Flush
  2. Straight Flush
  3. Four of a Kind
  4. Full House
  5. Flush
  6. Straight
  7. Three of a Kind
  8. Two Pair
  9. One Pair
  10. High Card

Royal Flush is the highest possible Ace-high Straight Flush.

Common mistakes

  • Expecting a fifth hole card on the river: the hand stays at four from the turn onward.
  • Evaluating preflop hands as Omaha hands: with only two cards you cannot yet know your final four, so early strength is Hold'em-like.
  • Playing the board or one hole card at showdown: once the hand is Omaha, exactly two hole cards plus three board cards are required.
  • Pot-Limit Omaha

    Pot-Limit Omaha deals all four cards preflop; Crossing the Border reaches four only after the turn.

See how Crossing the Border lines up against every other game in the poker variants comparison table.

Crossing the Border FAQ

How many cards do you hold on each street?

Two preflop, three after the flop is dealt, four after the turn is dealt, and still four on the river. Betting follows each street.

How does showdown work in Crossing the Border?

Omaha rules: exactly two of your four hole cards plus exactly three community cards make your best five-card high hand.

What are the betting structure and table size?

Pot-Limit, for 2 to 7 players.