[stripsqueez]

i have played a heap of manilla - in fact i'm about 90 minutes away from my weekly fix

it plays a lot like omaha hi in the sense that you need to get the nuts and not draw to hands that arent going to be the nuts - its commonly played 12 or 13 handed

you would always play a 3 card flush draw because like i said making the big hands is where the big money is - the big pocket pairs play as long as the first community card isnt bigger - you can play some straight cards but very carefully

every straight has a J and a 10 in it so J10 can always be played and is kind of a powerful hand (J10 is commonly known in Oz as "the greek flag") - however its crap if the first community card is a J or a 10 or ofcourse if the board pairs

the big traps are dodgy straight draws - ie playing KJo on a Q and playing hands that make a low pair with the first community card with an average or crap kicker - these hands can be played with a back door flush possibilty or in the right spots but they are usually played by chooks in middle position for a raise

betting structures vary but its always limit - usually the bet size doubles for the last 2 cards or as in my regular game quadruples for the last community card

3 coming in is obviously a rock but AKs on say a 7 or 8 of that suit is otherwise my favourite starting hand because again a bit like the omaha concept of having multiple draws i have flush, straight, and full potential

if player numbers drop below say 6 or 7 its also often played 3 carded - ie you get 3 cards and have to use 2 of them (not throwing a card away as in crazy pineapple)

stripsqueez - chickenhawk