FOUR TO START. TWO TO FINISH.
Irish Poker.
Omaha-sized possibilities narrow to a Hold’em decision.
THE DEFINING TWIST
Start four; after flop betting discard two, then finish as Hold’em.
Discard two
Know the twist.
Enjoy the table.
Illustrative hand · explore the result in Read the Table
YOUR GUIDE TO THIS VERSION
Know your table.
The rules that matter.
- Explicit PokerStars Blog version: pot-limit early, no-limit after discarding.
- Some homes use one betting structure throughout; agree before dealing.
From first card to final reveal.
- Prepare. Use 52 cards; agree blinds and the betting change.
This source version starts pot-limit and ends as no-limit Hold’em.
- Deal four. Post blinds; deal four private cards each.
Heads-up button posts small blind.
- Pre-flop. Bet clockwise after the big blind using pot-limit.
Keep all four private cards.
- Flop. Burn; reveal three shared cards. Complete pot-limit betting.
First active seat after button starts.
- The decision. Each survivor discards two private cards face down.
Discard after flop betting, before the turn.
- Turn. Burn; reveal the fourth shared card. Bet using no-limit.
Only your two retained cards remain available.
- River. Burn; reveal the fifth shared card. Complete no-limit betting.
No more discards.
- Showdown. Use zero, one or two retained cards with the board. Highest five wins.
Equal hands split. Unlike Omaha, exactly two is not required.
Where these rules come from.
Established variation; this guide follows the linked rules and stated table conventions. Explanatory presentation and examples by Deal Different.
PokerStars: Irish Poker rules ↗Curated by Maanas Chopra · reviewed October 2026 · session times are estimates