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Billabong is often considered to be a strange variation of poker. Hold ‘Em lovers everywhere and Stud lovers everywhere find it a strange combination of their favourite games, with both stud and community cards being used. That’s not to say that Billabong isn’t a fun and interesting game though. The combined elements of community and stud make it even more intricate and difficult to determine who has what hand.
To start with, all players are dealt two cards face down, known as hole cards, and a third card face up. In order to start the first round of betting the face up cards are compared. Whichever player has the highest value face up card is the player who starts the betting.
Following this, two community cards are then dealt. The second betting round will then begin, but it must be started by the player who has the strongest poker hand so far made using a combination of his exposed card and the community cards. This is where the game stops being so familiar to Hold ‘Em fans. The idea of table position having influence on play is completely irrelevant in Billabong, when betting relies on the strength of your hands.
A third community card is then dealt and then a third betting round is started, in the same way as previously, by the player with the strongest poker hand formed using the four community cards and his one face up card.
A fourth card is then dealt and a fourth betting round begins. Again this is started by the player with the strongest poker hand from his exposed card and the community cards. The final betting round is followed by the showdown.
Players then reveal the best 5 card poker hand they can make using any combination of their two hole cards, their face up card, and the four community cards from the board.
Although you can use any combination of these cards as you wish, it makes much more sense to use at least one of your hole cards, simply because they are the only hidden element of the whole game!
