Chowaha
A Hold'em/Omaha hybrid popularized by the mixed-game enthusiast community: four hole cards combine with a nine-card community grid plus turn and river, using exactly two hole cards per hand.
Coming soon — not yet playable
Rules
Chowaha deals four hole cards to each player, as in Omaha. Instead of a standard five-card board, nine community cards are dealt face down to the center of the table arranged in a 3-by-3 grid, followed later by a conventional turn and river card.
The community grid is typically revealed in stages (often starting with the center card, which touches the most possible lines through the grid) with betting rounds at agreed intervals, similar in spirit to Cincinnati or Iron Cross (both also in this library).
Showdown: as in Omaha, each player must use exactly two of their four hole cards combined with exactly three community cards to make their best hand — but here, those three community cards may be selected from anywhere within the 3-by-3 grid plus the turn and river, rather than a fixed five-card board, subject to house rules on which grid combinations are legal.
Strategy notes: Because there are many more possible three-card community combinations to choose from than in standard Omaha, average hand strength runs high, and the game is commonly played hi-lo (with an 8-or-better qualifier) rather than high-only to balance the inflated hand values.
Common house rules
Confirm the grid combination rule
Because Chowaha's exact rule for which three grid cards may be combined varies by table (some allow any three from the full grid, others require a line through the grid similar to Tic-Tac-Toe, also in this library), always confirm this before dealing.
Hi-lo is the more common format
Given how strong average hands run, most tables play Chowaha hi-lo (8-or-better qualifier, Omaha Hi-Lo-style) rather than high-only — confirm which your table intends.
A niche mixed-game circuit favorite
Chowaha is documented primarily through mixed-game enthusiast communities (like the BARGE poker rulebook) rather than mainstream casino play — treat it as an advanced, dealer's-choice-specific game rather than something you'll find spread commercially.
Related games
Based on shared category, origin, and rules that reference each other.
Cincinnati
A stud-and-community hybrid: every player gets five private down cards, and a shared row of community cards is revealed one at a time to build the best hand.
Learn the rules →Iron Cross
A five-card draw hybrid where each player's private hand can be combined with a shared cross-shaped layout of community cards on the table.
Learn the rules →Omaha
Community-card poker like Hold'em, but with four hole cards instead of two — high hand only, no low split, and exactly two hole cards must be used at showdown.
Learn the rules →Tic-Tac-Toe
A community-card stud hybrid where nine shared cards are dealt in a 3x3 grid, and players use any winning 'line' (row, column, or diagonal) as their community cards.
Learn the rules →