H.A. Poker Rules

H.A. poker is a variation of poker that is typically found at high stakes poker tables, although there are some games of H.A. being played at the lower limits. Ha is an acronym for Holdem and Omaha High. The reasoning behind playing H.A. poker is that only the truly talented poker player will be successful at the game, which means that the winning player must be a proficient Holdem player and a proficient Omaha High player. H.A. mix poker is a whole lot easier to master than other mixed poker games like Horse and Eight Game poker, and is a good place to start for those who are enthusiastic about playing a mixed game but aren’t well-versed in a great number of games to play the tougher mixed versions.

Playing H.A. Poker

H.A. Poker has a basic structure of game play. The number of players at the table determines the number of games that are played. For instance, if there are six players sitting at the Ha poker table, then there will be six games of Holdem dealt, and six games of Omaha High dealt to make up a complete Ha poker game. Holdem is always played first, followed by Omaha. Since the rules of each game that makes up H.A. poker are in force for whichever is being played, it is important to review the rules of Texas Holdem and Omaha High before going into a H.A. game.

H.A. Poker: Texas Holdem Rules

Texas Holdem is ever so popular, and makes up the first part of H.A. poker. Texas Holdem is a button game, meaning that a dealer button is placed in front of whichever player is serving as dealer in each hand. There are two blind players in Texas Holdem – the small blind to the left of the dealer and the big blind to the left of the small blind. Forced bets are placed by these two players. Each player will be dealt an initial three cards called pocket cards. These are dealt facing down. Players will then examine their cards to determine whether they wish to bet, call, raise, or muck (fold). Next, the player to the left of the big blind, which is the third player from the dealer button will start the action, which will follow around the Texas Holdem table in a clockwise manner.

This is called the pre-flop action. After all players have acted, three community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table – which is called the flop. All players can use these cards to make their hands. Another round of betting occurs, with players betting, calling, raising, or mucking their hands. Once each player has acted on their hand, the turn card is dealt into the center of the Texas Holdem table facing up, joining the other community cards. Another round of betting ensues beginning with the Texas Holdem player seated next to the dealer’s left. Finally, the river card is dealt into the community cards (there will now be five community cards on the table). Another round of bets takes place, followed by the showdown, where the best hand consisting of five cards will take the pot. The winning hand is made up of community cards and at least one pocket card for each player remaining in the game.

H.A. Poker: Omaha Holdem Rules

The rules of Omaha poker are nearly identical to Texas Holdem, with the exception that each player will receive four hole or pocket cards and players must play exactly three community cards and two hole cards to make up their final hand.

H.A. mix poker