You can only make 4 three-card combinations from the common board cards in Turnpike Poker. This is fewer than most Omaha-based BK Asia games. It is easy for these combinations to be very uncoordinated. The result is an elimination or reduction of flush and straight possibilities. A pair will appear on the board less than 50 percent of the time. The chances of someone making a full house is less than that of standard Omaha. The usual winning hand depends on the coordination level of the board cards.

How to play

• Each player receives 5 hole cards.
• The dealer will place 4 vertical sets with 3 face down cards each on the table.
• A betting round will then follow after the arrangement of the board cards.
• The dealer then reveals the 3 cards of the first set.
• Another betting round takes place.
• The dealer reveals the 3 cards of the next set.
• Again, a betting round occurs.
• The 3 cards of the third set will then get revealed.
• Betting will again take place.
• Finally, the dealer will reveal all 3 cards of the last set.
• A final betting round then happens.
• Next is the showdown where High only or Hi-Lo cards speak.
• The players will then make a declaration of High-Low.

Winning the game

A player has to make use of 2 hole cards plus an entire 3-card set to form the best possible hand. The standard Poker hand rankings apply.

Another variation

Although Turnpike is a variation of Poker, the game itself has its own variation. Players can choose to have 4 cards revealed at a time. That will be a card from each of the 4 sets. It reduces the number of betting rounds and keeps more players in the hand. You can also choose to have 5 hole cards each instead of the usual 4 hole cards.

There are many hand combinations in Turnpike Poker and it can be a bit complicated for most players. You have to pay very close attention if you want to win the BK8 game. Awareness of the board cards will help you assess the possible winning hands. Keep in mind that a set must have a pair or triples if you want to have a full house or four-of-a-kind. Flushes are not common so it would be best not to expect to have that kind of hand. What is common is having straight possibilities. A straight is a likely winner if there is no flush or pair on the board.