In general, Bush league has some rather negative connotations. To most of the population, if something is “bush league” then it is purely for amateurs. In a men’s locker room that term has other meanings that are not fit for polite conversation, so we will stay away from those in this article. From a poker perspective, Bush league is a variation of Hold’em.
When starting a game of bush league, the initial deal is exactly the same as Omaha Hold’em. In other words, 4 cards are dealt face down to each player and five community cards are dealt face down in the middle of the table. The only difference is that the five cards in the middle of the table are laid down in the shape of a cross, three down and three across.
The shared cards are exposed one-at-a-time, starting with the top and moving clockwise. The center card is the last to be shown. A round of betting occurs prior to each exposure and after the last exposure. To keep things interesting, 3's and 9's are wild. If a four pops up as one of the community cards, than everyone player at the table gets an extra card. Some people play this game in a manner that requires that each player must pay the minimum bet for each exposed wild card.
I find this to be a very enjoyable variation of hold’em. It resembles church in some ways but the presence of extra wild cards adds an interesting element to each hand. If you are bored with your current game, give this one a whirl. You won't regret it.
