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How to Play Alabama Poker
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Alabama Poker is a rare game also known as “Alabama Hold ‘em.” It is a variation on two very popular poker games – Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha.
Alabama Poker is closer to Omaha than Hold ‘em, but the betting strategies and turn/river/flop sequence are identical to both games.
Here is how it works:
Players are dealt four hole cards face down. These are the player’s cards, and the player’s cards alone. After this, there is a round of betting.
Then comes the flop, which is the same as Omaha and Hold ‘em – three face up community cards that are used by all players. This is followed by another round of betting.
Another community card, called the turn, is then dealt, followed by another round of betting.
Finally, a fifth community card is dealt. This is called the river, and a final round of betting is held. Then the cards are revealed and a winner determined.
The best five card hand that can be made from the nine cards is the winner.
However, this is where the twist comes in – the player has to use three of his or her hole cards and two of the community cards to make the best hand. From that combination comes the winning hand. This differs from Omaha, where the player MUST use two hole cards and three community cards.
In Texas Hold ‘Em, the player uses the best five cards regardless of where they come from. He or she is not bound by a specific number of hole cards.
In Alabama, however, the player must use three of the hole cards and two of the community cards. This alters strategy and forces a player to have the skills to read the possible combinations on the board more than in most games.
As in traditional poker, winning hands are standard. There are no wild cards or jokers. As with most forms of poker, winning hand rankings are as follows: Straight flush (five consecutive cards of the same suit), four of a kind, full house (three of a kind and a pair), flush (five non-consecutive cards of the same suit), straight (five consecutive unsuited cards), three of a kind, two pair, and pair and high card.
.The strategy here is simple; you have nine cards to make a five-card hand, but it is important to know the limitations. If there are three clubs on the board and you have two in your hand, you do not have a flush. This is a common mistake in Alabama poker. When figuring your hand, you can use any three of your four cards, but you have to make sure they combine correctly.
A good strategy is to see as many flops as possible. Suited connectors (consecutive cards of the same suit) combined with big cards (A, K, Q) make good starting hands. Being dealt trips (three of the same cards) is a big advantage and the best starting hand in Alabama.
Solid Omaha strategy comes in to play here as well. See lots of flops, but be aware that your opponent has more possible hand combinations than you will find in Hold ‘em. Essentially, the expected winning hand is usually one better than traditional Texas Hold ‘Em. For instance, trips is the rough equal of two pair in Hold ‘Em; a flush wins as often as a straight in Hold ‘Em, etc. Just remember that your opponent will usually have a better hand than what will win in Hold ‘Em and take that into account when you play.
Alabama Hold ‘Em is a different variation, and a good game to try when you want to mix things up. It will help you develop your skills as a player and widen your range of games.
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