§ 637a.12. Omaha Poker; procedures for dealing the cards; completion of each round of play.
(a) A certificate holder that offers Omaha High or Omaha High-low Split Eight or Better Poker shall observe the procedures in this section.
(b) No more than ten players may participate in an Omaha Poker game. Each player who elects to participate in a round of play may be required to place an Ante bet. The rules governing the placement of an Ante bet and the amount of the Ante bet, if any, and the Kill or Half-kill option, if offered, shall be specified in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions) and posted on a sign at each Poker table.
(c) A button shall be used to indicate the order in which the cards shall be dealt and the order in which players shall bet in accordance with following procedures:
(1) At commencement of play, the button shall be placed in front of either:
(i) The first player to the right of the dealer.
(ii) The player randomly determined by rank of a single card dealt.
(2) Thereafter, the button shall rotate around the table in a clockwise manner after each round of play.
(d) Before any cards are dealt, the player to the immediate left of the button shall initiate the first betting round by placing a Blind Bet. A certificate holder may require additional Blind Bets to be made immediately after the initial Blind Bet. The amount and number of all Blind Bets required shall be specified in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2 and posted on a sign at the table.
(e) The player to the left of the player who placed a Blind Bet may place a Straddle Bet, if offered by the certificate holder. The rules governing the placement of a Straddle Bet and the amount of the Straddle Bet, if any, shall be specified in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2 and posted on a sign at each Poker table. No more than one Straddle Bet may be made during a round of play.
(f) Starting with the player to the immediate left of the button and continuing around the table in a clockwise manner, the dealer shall deal four rounds of cards face down to each player. The player with the button shall be the last player to receive a card each time.
(g) After each player has been dealt four cards in accordance with subsection (e), each player, starting with the player to the left of the player or players who were required to place a Blind Bet or the player who placed a Straddle Bet, if offered, and continuing around the table in a clockwise manner, may fold, call or raise the bet. The option to raise shall also apply to a player who made a Blind Bet or Straddle Bet. After the last player has responded to the most recent bet, the betting round shall be considered complete.
(h) The dealer shall then burn the top card of the deck and proceed to deal three community cards face up in the center of the table. The first player to the left of the button who has not folded shall commence the next betting round and may bet or check. Each subsequent player may, in clockwise rotation, fold, call, raise or, if preceding players have not made a bet, make an opening bet or check. After the last player has responded to the most recent bet, the betting round shall be considered complete.
(i) Upon completion of the betting round, the dealer shall burn the top card of the deck and deal a fourth community card face up in the center of the table. The next betting round shall be commenced and completed in accordance with subsection (h).
(j) Upon completion of the betting round, the dealer shall burn the top card of the deck and deal a fifth and final community card face up in the center of the table. The final betting round shall be commenced and completed in accordance with subsection (g).
(k) If more than one player remains in the round of play after the final betting round has been completed, a showdown shall be used to determine the winner of the pot. Each player remaining in the game shall form a five-card hand using two of the four cards dealt to the player and three of the five community cards. The winner of the pot shall be:
(1) In Omaha High Poker, the player with the highest ranking five-card high hand.
(2) In Omaha High-low Split Eight or Better Poker:
(i) The player with the highest ranking five-card high hand and the player with the highest ranking five-card low hand, subject to subsection (l), shall divide the pot equally. If a pot cannot be divided equally, the excess amount, which may not exceed $1, shall be given to the player with the highest ranking high hand.
(ii) If a tie exists between two or more players for the highest ranking high hand, the high hand share of the pot shall be divided equally among the tied players. If the high hand share of the pot cannot be divided equally among the tied players, the excess, which may not exceed $1, shall be given to the player with the highest ranking high card by suit or to the player specified in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2.
(iii) If a tie exists between two or more players for the highest ranking low hand, the low hand share of the pot shall be divided equally among the tied players. If the low hand share of the pot cannot be divided equally among the tied players, the excess, which may not exceed $1, shall be given to the player with the lowest ranking low hand Poker card by suit or to the player specified in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2.
(iv) For purposes of this subsection, the cards shall be ranked by suit with the highest to lowest rank suit in order as follows: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs.
(l) In Omaha High-low Split Eight or Better Poker, the winning low hand may not contain a pair, a three-of-a-kind or a four-of-a-kind or a 9, 10, jack, queen or king. In the event that none of the hands of the remaining players satisfies this requirement, the entire pot shall be awarded to the player with the highest ranking high hand.
(m) In Omaha High-low Split Eight or Better Poker, the player may form two different hands of five cards each, enabling that player to contend for both the high hand and low hand share of the pot. Each hand must consist of any three of the community cards and any two of four cards dealt to the player. A player may use the same five-card grouping to make a high hand and a low hand. An ace may be used concurrently as a low hand card to make up a low hand and as a high card to make up a high hand.
(n) In Omaha High-low Split Eight or Better Poker, the certificate holder may use either the Half-kill or Kill option. If the certificate holder elects to use either option, the certificate holder shall indicate which option is being used in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2 and post on a sign at each Omaha Poker table which option is being used and the minimum value of a qualifying pot.
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