Cincinnati is a community card game where each player receives four individual cards face-down, and four community cards are revealed one at a time with a betting round after each. Players make the best five-card hand using any combination of their individual cards and the community cards.
Watch a Sample Hand
Hero is dealt A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ — four big spades. When the first community card lands face-up as 10♠, hero silently holds the best possible hand: a Royal Flush!
POT
YOU (Hero)
ROYAL FLUSH!
Player 2
Player 3
Ready to Deal
Press Next Step to begin dealing the sample hand.
Step 0 of 9
Key Rule: Unlike Omaha, there is no restriction on how many individual cards you must use. You may use zero, one, two, three, or all four of your individual cards to make your best hand.
The Deal
Each player is dealt 4 cards face-down (individual cards)
Players look at their cards privately
Uses a small blind and big blind structure
Betting Rounds
There are five betting rounds in Cincinnati:
Round 1: After players receive their 4 individual cards (before any community cards)
Round 2: After the 1st community card is revealed
Round 3: After the 2nd community card is revealed
Round 4: After the 3rd community card is revealed
Round 5: After the 4th community card is revealed (final betting)
Community Cards
After the first betting round, four community cards are revealed one at a time, with a betting round after each card. All community cards are dealt face-up and are shared by all players.
Making Your Hand
At showdown, players select the best possible five-card hand from any combination of their 4 individual cards and the 4 community cards. This gives each player 8 total cards to choose from.
Cincinnati vs Omaha: In Omaha, you are required to use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three community cards. In Cincinnati, you have complete freedom — use as many or as few of your individual cards as you like.
Hand Rankings
Standard poker hand rankings apply, from highest to lowest:
Royal Flush — A K Q J 10 all same suit
Straight Flush — Five consecutive cards, same suit
Four of a Kind — Four cards of the same rank
Full House — Three of a kind plus a pair
Flush — Five cards of the same suit
Straight — Five consecutive ranks (any suit)
Three of a Kind — Three cards of the same rank
Two Pair — Two different pairs
One Pair — Two cards of the same rank
High Card — Highest card plays
Strategy Tips
With 8 cards available (4 individual + 4 community), average hand strength is higher than Texas Hold'em — expect strong hands at showdown
Suited cards in your individual hand (especially high cards) are extremely valuable — a Royal Flush is achievable
Pocket pairs become powerful when the community board brings matching cards
Watch community cards carefully — unlike Omaha, your opponents can also use just one or even zero hole cards, giving them full access to the board
Premium starting hands: four cards that work together — high suited connectors, pairs with suited side cards
Since everyone benefits equally from the community cards, your individual cards must provide real value above the board
In later betting rounds, the community cards narrow down what opponents likely hold — reading the board is essential
Bluffing is riskier than in Hold'em because there are 4 community cards available to everyone, making strong hands more common
Example Hand
Individual cards:
Community cards:
Best 5-card hand: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ = Royal Flush!
All 4 individual cards are used alongside just one community card (10♠)
This freedom to use all 4 individual cards is what sets Cincinnati apart from Omaha
