Tahoe: Origin of the Name of 5-card Omaha? (1 Viewer)

[jbutler]

We can figure the origin of the name Big-O in which you start with 5 cards rather than 4, but are still limited to playing exactly 2. But what about the game most people around here call Tahoe and which I've also heard referred to as:

Oklahoma
Big Texas
Alaska
Palin (local variant here)

and I'm sure a few more I don't remember at the moment. For those unfamiliar with the game, it's 5-card omaha, but you may play exactly 2 or all 5 cards in your hand and it can be played high or high/low.

A few new folks who came to my Sunday game last night were introduced to the game and asked how it got its name and neither I nor anyone else had an answer for them. Obviously all the names are geographical in nature, which is common of course, but what is the most common name for this game and what is its origin? I would think @pltrgyst and @abby99 could be of some help here.

 

[pltrgyst]

Hmmm -- sorry, no help here. The Tahoe I've played is just another name for Lazy Pineapple -- three down, no discard, play up to two.

 

[BGinGA]

^^ This. And BIg-O is what they call the "play 2 or all 5" variant around here. Five Card Omaha is called Five Card Omaha, go figure.....

 

[bentax1978]

For those unfamiliar with the game, it's 5-card omaha, but you may play exactly 2 or all 5 cards in your hand and it can be played high or high/low.

Not to derail this thread, but just out of curiosity having never playing this (or Big-O for that matter), how often do people end up playing all 5 cards in their hand? Is it more often to make low hands in a split pot version of the game?

 

[jbutler]

Not to derail this thread, but just out of curiosity having never playing this (or Big-O for that matter), how often do people end up playing all 5 cards in their hand? Is it more often to make low hands in a split pot version of the game?

It's quite common to have a low in the hole (say once a round or so). Having a high hand in the hole that is good enough to be relevant is quite a bit less common, naturally.

At my game we currently play Tahoe as a limit game ($5/10/15 or more recently just $5/10), but IMO it's better played pot limit. I've honestly never seen players tilt harder than playing PL Tahoe. Maybe Razz would do it, but I don't play enough Razz to say. But the nature of the game - i.e., you can never have the true nuts - makes people a bit crazy.

Case in point: last night I had AsKs732 in the hole and the flop came Js8s6c. The flop was 7-handed. I bet out from UTG, was raised, and the turn was seen 6-handed for two bets. Turn came Ts. I led out again, was raised, chose to flat due to the nittiness of the raiser. River was 4-handed and came 4c. I check-called and got none of the pot. One player had JJ444 in the hole and another had a 7 perfect low. If that had been a PL hand, I'd very likely have gotten all in on the flop.

 

[JoseRijo]

I'm pretty sure you introduced us to the game. I remember googling it and having a hard time finding any information about the game. For all I know, you made it up yourself.

Is there a '7 perfect low' in omaha? Isn't the wheel the nut low?

 

[abby99]

Around here, Big O is 5-card PLO8.

"2 or 5 Omaha 8" is the name for, well, O8 where you can play either two from your hand or all 5. As usual the player can use different cards for high and low if playing 2.

We don't have a game named Tahoe.

We do play Tahoe Pitch and Roll, usually PL. Players are dealt 4 individual cards face down. Each player pitches one card and turns a card face up. From that point it's similar to Stud 8 (low card brings in) except that 4th and 5th streets are dealt together (one at a time, obv), and 7th street is dealt face up.

@courage: I recall playing Bush at DCS, and that I know it by a different name. Which Omaha variant is it?

 

[jbutler]

I'm pretty sure you introduced us to the game. I remember googling it and having a hard time finding any information about the game. For all I know, you made it up yourself.

Is there a '7 perfect low' in omaha? Isn't the wheel the nut low?

Yeah I first learned it here in home/underground games in Jersey. Most here called it Tahoe with a small contingent knowing it as Alaska. Somehow Alaska evolved and now it's known by mostly everyone here as Palin.

___ perfect in a low game just means the blank is your high card and the remaining cards are as good as possible. So here in omaha, 7 perfect is 7432A, 6 perfect is 6432A, etc. You hear that more in stud or 2-7 because there are no board cards, so people have to call their hands more precisely. Obv in Tahoe, you have the same dynamic where you have a low in the hole.

 

[pokerplayingpisces]

Hmmm -- sorry, no help here. The Tahoe I've played is just another name for Lazy Pineapple -- three down, no discard, play up to two.

Here we call that "Super Pineapple".

 

[detroitdad]

We recently started playing Ludicrous Pineapple. @mike32 's suggestion.

dealt 4 cards. Discard one on the flop. Another on the turn.

 

[courage]

@abby99 the locals call 5 Card Omaha hi Bush.

In the past I've used P* and Full Tilt as indicators of what some games are called, but admittedly they don't cover the gamut of circus games chippers dream up.

 

[jbutler]

Posted in the 2+2 Home Poker subforum here to see if anyone there has an idea.

 

[gopherblue]

I'm going to go with: first played in Tahoe by degens who didn't think Omaha or Big O had enough variance.

 

[abby99]

Posted in the 2+2 Home Poker subforum here to see if anyone there has an idea.

The good folks at BARGE list it as "two or five Omaha/8" here. I suppose that they would call the high only version "two or five Omaha."

 

[jbutler]

The good folks at BARGE list it as "two or five Omaha/8" here. I suppose that they would call the high only version "two or five Omaha."

Thanks, Marsha. I think BARGE is as good an authority on weirdo games as we can expect. Wish it had a more colorful name, but what can you do?

EDIT: I noticed that it was also submitted by Russ Fox, a financial planner who I've heard a number of times on Bart Hanson's podcast advising on financial and tax planning for professional gamblers. Interesting!

 

[pltrgyst]

...I think BARGE is as good an authority on weirdo games as we can expect....

EDIT: I noticed that it was also submitted by Russ Fox, a financial planner who I've heard a number of times on Bart Hanson's podcast advising on financial and tax planning for professional gamblers. Interesting!

Hey, we *ARGers resent that weirdo inference!

Russ is a good guy who gets around, and a very good player. He generally comes to ATLARGE in April as well as to BARGE and EMBARGO (LV in January). And you've played with Hanson, who's stuff can also be found via deucescracked.com.

 

[abby99]

LOL at the term weirdo games. They're the norm around here, for which I am so grateful. Hold'em is OK, but to someone who grew up playing dealer's choice games, it just doesn't seem right to have only one game in one's repertoire. No offense intended.

 

[jbutler]

LOL at the term weirdo games. They're the norm around here, for which I am so grateful. Hold'em is OK, but to someone who grew up playing dealer's choice games, it just doesn't seem right to have only one game in one's repertoire. No offense intended.

Yeah, I count myself lucky that I could play home/underground games three nights a week without picking up a hold em hand. I wish my group would expand a bit into the more eccentric games, but at least I'm not sitting there with two cards

 

[bentax1978]

Yeah, I count myself lucky that I could play home/underground games three nights a week without picking up a hold em hand. I wish my group would expand a bit into the more eccentric games, but at least I'm not sitting there with two cards

I haven't played a (decent) home game in so long I'd settle for a game where I sit there with only one card