Kill Games

It is another variation for Hold'em and Omaha 8/b fans. If you want to spice up the game, try out Kill or Half-Kill versions. Basically, the game stakes increase when someone wins two qualifying hands in a row. These are very popular games, but can be a bit confusing so let's take a look at how this all works.

To Kill or Not To Kill

To play it successfully, you need to understand what a 'kill' is and why it happens. The 'kill' is a two-step process. First, someone has to win a pot outright (they take all the money - no split pots or side pots). And the total amount of the pot (before rake is taken) must be equal to or greater than 5 times the big blind for the game. For example, in a $2/$4 game the big blind is $2 so the pot would have to be at least $10 (5 x $2 = $10) for it to qualify. If this happens, the winning player gets a button in front of his or her position. This is the 'partial kill' button. To receive a 'partial kill' button in Omaha 8/b, the player must scoop the pot (in other words win both the high and low hands). Some call it a 'half-kill' but that's just too confusing; we'll address that later.

The 'partial kill' button signifies that if this player wins the next hand we might have a Kill game and the stakes will go up! But for that to happen the player must win the pot outright, and the amount must be at least 5 times the big blind, just like they did before to get the partial kill button. If this happens we have a Kill game and the stakes go up. So hang on!

Let's stick with the example from above. It's a $2/$4 game and you just won your second qualifying pot. The small blind posts $1, the big blind posts $2, and you - as the kill blind player - post $4. Because you already have $4 posted, the minimum call amount is now $4. Even if you are the small blind or big blind, you still post $4 and the other players must at least call $4 to stay in. It's important to know that you act in turn, as in any other game (some cardrooms make the Kill blind the last to act). The rest of the hand plays as a $4/$8 game. This continues until the player with the Kill button does NOT win the entire qualifying pot. When the Kill game is not in effect, the stakes revert back to their regular levels. And, if no one has the partial kill button, it resides in the middle of the table.

Half-kill Equals Little Kill?

UltimateBet offers 'Half-Kill' games as well. They play exactly like Kill games, but the stakes don't increase a full amount; they increase a half amount instead. We know, it's so obvious! So a $2/$4 game plays as a $3/$6 game when the 'Kill' is active. And that's why we use the term 'partial kill' to describe the first step, instead of 'half-kill'. Some also use the phrase 'first leg' to refer to this. We offer a 'Half-Kill' game in Hold'em as well as Omaha 8/b.

Regardless of what you call it, these games add an additional level of fun and excitement to your favorite games. Try them out!