poker · Global
Courchevel
Also known as Courchevel Poker · 5-Card Courchevel · Courchevel Omaha · Five-Card Omaha (exposed flop card)
Courchevel is a high-action Omaha variant where every player is dealt five hole cards and the very first community (flop) card is turned face up before any pre-flop betting takes place. Named after the French ski resort where it was popularized, it keeps Omaha's signature rule — you must use exactly two of your hole cards plus exactly three community cards — but the extra hole card and the exposed "door card" make starting hands enormous and pre-flop decisions far richer than in standard Omaha. On Love Card Games you play Courchevel in our Dealer's Poker table: when you are on the button (or set up a table), pick the Courchevel variant and the whole table plays it. It is completely free, runs right in your browser with real people and smart bots, needs no signup, and uses chips only — there is no real money involved.
2–9 players · free · no download · no signup
How to play Courchevel
- Open the Dealer's Poker table on Love Card Games and take a seat — it is free, browser-based, with real players and bots, and no signup.
- When you are on the button (the dealer), choose Courchevel as the variant for the hand.
- Post the small or big blind when it is your turn; the button rotates clockwise each hand.
- Receive your five hole cards face down — then watch the dealer turn the first flop card face up before any betting.
- Bet pre-flop using your five hole cards and that one exposed community card to judge your hand.
- Continue through the rest of the flop (2 more cards), the turn (1 card), and the river (1 card), betting each round.
- At showdown, build your best five-card hand using exactly two hole cards plus exactly three community cards — never more, never fewer.
- Take the pot with the best hand or by making everyone fold, then pass the button to the next player.
Courchevel rules
Objective
Win chips by making the best five-card poker hand at showdown or by betting so that everyone else folds first. Courchevel uses the standard poker hand rankings, weakest to strongest: high card, one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush. The defining rule, shared with Omaha, is that your final hand must be built from exactly two of your five hole cards plus exactly three of the five community cards — no more, no fewer.
The deck, players, and the deal
Courchevel is played with one standard 52-card deck, from 2 up to 9 players. A button marks the dealer position and rotates one seat clockwise each hand. The player to the left of the button posts the small blind and the next player posts the big blind. Each player is then dealt five hole cards face down. Uniquely, before any pre-flop betting, the dealer immediately turns the first flop card face up in the center — this single exposed card is shared by everyone and is in play for the rest of the hand.
How a hand plays out
Courchevel follows Omaha's flop-turn-river rhythm with one twist at the start. Pre-flop: you already see your five hole cards and the one exposed flop card, so the first betting round happens with that information available; the player left of the big blind acts first and can fold, call, or raise. Flop: the remaining two flop cards are dealt face up next to the exposed card, completing the three-card flop, then a betting round. Turn: a fourth community card is dealt, then a betting round. River: the fifth and final community card is dealt, then the last betting round. If two or more players remain, the hand goes to showdown.
The must-use-two rule (same as Omaha)
This is the rule that catches new players. At showdown you must use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three of the community cards — you can never use one or three or four of your hole cards, and you can never 'play the board' as you can in Hold'em. For example, holding four hearts in your hand does not make a flush; you need at least two hearts in your hand and three on the board. With five hole cards you have more two-card combinations to work with, which makes big hands more common and reading the board more demanding.
Showdown and scoring
At showdown the player who can build the highest-ranking five-card hand (using exactly two hole cards and three community cards) wins the pot. Tied hands split the pot evenly. Because Courchevel is a five-card Omaha game, expect strong hands — nut flushes, full houses and straights show up often, so marginal made hands win much less than they would in Hold'em. Chips here carry no cash value; this is a free, social, no-real-money game played for the win and the ranking only.
Betting limits
Courchevel is traditionally played Pot-Limit, the same as Omaha, meaning the most you can bet or raise is the current size of the pot. It can also be dealt Fixed-Limit or No-Limit by house preference. The exposed first flop card means pots tend to build early because so many starting hands connect with the visible card, so pot control and position matter even more than in standard Omaha.
Where you play it here
On Love Card Games, Courchevel runs inside our Dealer's Poker (Dealer's Choice) table rather than as a standalone room. When you hold the button you simply choose Courchevel as the variant for that hand, and everyone plays five-card Courchevel with the exposed flop card. The flop-turn-river betting, the blinds, and the button rotation are identical to the other poker variants at that table, so it is easy to jump straight in.
Strategy tips
- Re-evaluate every starting hand around the exposed flop card — five hole cards that connect with the visible card (for pairs, straights, or flush draws) are worth far more than disconnected high cards.
- Respect the must-use-exactly-two rule: with five hole cards it is easy to imagine a flush or straight you cannot legally make. Always confirm you have two cards in hand that combine with three on the board.
- Value coordinated, suited and connected hands over raw high cards — Courchevel rewards hands that can make the nuts (nut flush, top set, top straight), because second-best hands lose big in five-card Omaha.
- Play tighter than you would in Hold'em. Bigger pre-flop fields and bigger made hands mean weak holdings get punished, so fold marginal hands even when the exposed card looks tempting.
- Use position. Because the exposed card swells pots early, acting later lets you size your bets against how the rest of the flop and the betting develop.
- Aim for the nuts on draws. With so many cards in play, non-nut flushes and low straights are frequently beaten, so prioritize draws to the best possible hand.
Variants
Pot-Limit Courchevel (the traditional form) · No-Limit and Fixed-Limit Courchevel (house options) · Courchevel Hi/Lo (8-or-better split pot, half to the best qualifying low) · Played inside our Dealer's Poker (Dealer's Choice) table — pick it on the button · Other variants at the same table: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Pineapple, Irish
Courchevel — frequently asked questions
What is Courchevel poker?
Courchevel is a five-card Omaha variant. Each player gets five hole cards instead of Omaha's four, and the very first flop card is dealt face up before pre-flop betting. As in Omaha, you must use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three community cards to make your hand, and it is usually played Pot-Limit.
How is Courchevel different from regular Omaha?
Two things change. First, you are dealt five hole cards instead of four, giving you more two-card combinations. Second, the first flop card is exposed before pre-flop betting, so you already see one community card when you make your opening decision. The exactly-two-hole-cards-plus-three-board rule is the same as Omaha.
Can I play Courchevel online for free?
Yes. On Love Card Games you play Courchevel free in your browser inside our Dealer's Poker table — no download, no signup, and no real money. You play with chips against real people and smart bots.
Where do I find Courchevel on Love Card Games?
Courchevel runs inside our Dealer's Poker (Dealer's Choice) table rather than as its own separate room. When you are on the button, just pick the Courchevel variant and the whole table plays five-card Courchevel for that hand.
Why is the first flop card shown before betting?
That exposed 'door card' is what defines Courchevel. Seeing one community card pre-flop adds a big strategic layer: starting hands that connect with the visible card gain a lot of value, so pre-flop decisions are richer than in standard Omaha where you bet blind to the flop.
Do I have to use exactly two of my hole cards?
Yes. Just like Omaha, your final five-card hand must use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three of the five community cards — never one, three, or four hole cards, and you can never play the board alone. It is the most common mistake new players make.
How many players can play Courchevel?
From 2 to 9 players at a table, using one standard 52-card deck. You can fill empty seats with bots, so you can practice or play any time.