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Chop

In Omaha high-low, it is fairly common to split the pot equally for the winning high and low hands. When hands tie and a pot is divided up, that is called a chop. In Omaha, it is typically quartering the low (it rarely happens with the high end). When tournaments allow the prize pool to be chopped, it can take several routes. First, it is only done for those at the final table. Sometimes there is a set casino percentage, e.g., 50% for the chip leader, 35% for #2, and 15% for #3, etc. If there is no policy, the remaining players can negotiate the formula. A couple of years ago I played in the WPT Deepstacks Tournament in Reno and, at 1 AM, with seven players left, we discussed chopping. There was one holdout who insisted on a $500 payout (he was last in the chip count). One of the other players said he would cover any difference between the determined payout and the $500. The chip leader wanted an exact chip count and the payoff based on the percentage of chips in play for each player. We all agreed. It was time consuming, but certainly accurate. On the other end of the spectrum, I was heads up in Laughlin with a very slight chip lead and we chopped almost 50% – 50% (I requested an extra $25). Finally, I have been at the final table with three others and the prize pool was split equally.

 

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