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Select a category of poker variants to look at Take quick read on the basics of Poker Poker has evolved over the years, in fact there are many variations of this game that are only barely related to the mainstay -5 card draw, but the a termed a a game of poker so we have included them here. Look them over and try some of them and let us know what you favorites are. Draw Poker VariationsIn these types of games, players receive a full hand on the initial deal, and then discard some of those cards, which are replaced with new cards from the deck.
Players:
3-7.
Initial deal:
5 cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
There is a betting round after the deal. After the betting round, each
player may exchange up to three cards. Another round of betting ensues,
followed by the showdown. With fewer than six players, a player may draw
four cards if they show that their remaining card is an Ace.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
Adding wild cards to play (and allowing five-of-a-kinds if chosen).
High/low: the highest hand and lowest hand split the pot. Lowball: Lowest hand wins. Allowing for four card draw with an ace. Double Draw: After the first exchange and subsequent betting, there is another exchange and betting round.
Players:
3-10.
Initial deal:
5 cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
There is a round of betting. Each player, starting to the dealer's left
and continuing clockwise, may choose to either draw one more card or trade
in all his cards for an equal number of replacements. Rounds of betting
and drawing/exchanging continue, the leader rotating each time, until
there are fewer cards in the deck than players left in the game.
Winner:
High hand.
Players:
4-7.
Initial deal:
7 cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
Each player passes three cards to the player on their left after the first
round of betting. After the next betting round, each player passes two
cards to the player on their left. After another betting round, each
player passes one card to the player on their left. Each player then
chooses five cards to keep and discards the remaining two. Each player who
chooses to remain in the hand places their 5-card hand face down in front
of them. Play continues with a roll and a betting round until each player
has rolled four cards, after which time a showdown ensues. The cards speak
for themselves.
Winner:
The high and low hands split the pot.
Standard variations:
1: The cards are passed to the player on the right.
2: Each player keeps all seven cards after the passing and chooses among all seven cards to turn up. This allows the player to more easily change from high to low depending on what is being played (or to declare both).
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
Same as 5-card draw.
Play:
Same as 5-card draw, except, as in Baseball: 3's & 9's are wild. A 4
gets a player an extra card.
Winner:
High hand.
Players:
3-8.
Initial deal:
Three cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
There is a betting round. Each player in turn beginning at the left of the
dealer may discard from 0-3 of their cards and draw replacements from the
deck. There is a betting round. There is the showdown.
Winner:
Low hand (A-2-3 is lowest).
Standard variations:
Players pay a set amount, such as a dime, for each card replaced in lieu
of the first betting round. After the draw, players proceed to play their
three cards as in 3-card guts, either staying in or dropping depending on
the degree of confidence each has in his hand. The remaining players have
a showdown for the pot or the privilege of matching the pot or pot match
limit. Play continues until only one player stays, as in guts.
Players:
4-7.
Initial deal:
7 cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
Same as Anaconda, with these exceptions: Threes are wild if and only if
the hand they are in is used to try to win the high hand. Kings are wild
if and only if the hand they are in is used to try for the low hand. There
are no betting rounds until the showdown.
Winner:
High and low hands split the pot.
Notes:
The low pot is usually won by a perfect low. High is usually won by at
least a full house.
Players:
3-7.
Initial deal:
5 cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
Played like 5-card draw, with the following differences: Only a player
with a hand as good as or better than a pair of Jacks may open the
betting. If someone has such a hand, they may open the betting. If nobody
can open, the hand is discarded, everyone antes again, and hands are
redealt. Once the betting is opened, play continues as in 5 Card Draw
until the showdown. At this time, anyone who has 3 of a kind or better is
eligible to win the pot. The best eligible hand takes the pot. If nobody
has an eligible hand (that is, nobody has at least 3 of a kind), then the
hand is discarded, everyone antes again, and hands are redealt only to
those players who have not folded this hand or a previous hand. If, on any
given hand (regardless of eligibility), all but one player folds his hand,
then the surviving player wins the pot, thus ending the game.
Winner:
High hands wins the pot.
Standard variations:
Progressive: If nobody can open, the requirement increases to a
pair of Queens, then Kings, then Aces, then goes back to Jacks, etc.
No Trips: Just play with Jacks-to-Open, but only openers to win. High-Low Split: The high hand and the Low hand split the pot. Limit Number of Hands: Set a number of hands (like five) to play regularly. If nobody wins after that many hands, then play 5-card draw normally, anything (guts) to open and anything (guts) to win.
Players:
3-6
Initial deal:
As in 5-card draw.
Play:
Players declare how many cards they want to draw simultaneously. The
player to your left gets the cards you discarded.
Players:
4-7
Initial deal:
7 cards to each player.
Play:
This is essentually Anaconda with no passing of cards. Each player chooses
their best 5-card High or Low hand from the cards they were dealt. Four
cards are rolled with a betting round before the first roll and after each
roll. There is a showdown after the last (fourth) roll and subsequent
round of betting.
Winner:
High and low hands split the pot.
Standard variations:
Large Neuticles: 7 cards dealt to each player.
Medium Neuticles: 6 cards dealt to each player. Small Neuticles: 5 cards dealt to each player.
Players:
4, 6, 8, or 10.
Initial deal:
5 cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
Everyone rolls a card. Highest card showing picks one of the other hands
as a partner. The next highest unpartnered hand chooses a partner, and so
forth until everyone is paired up. Each partnership combines their
remaining 8 cards and chooses 3 of them. Three rounds of betting follow,
with one of the 3 cards rolled after each round. The winning team splits
the pot. If one member of a team folds, the other can continue playing
and, if he wins, he wins the entire pot.
Winner:
High hand.
Players:
3-5.
Initial deal:
Five cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
Similar to 5-card draw, except there are three drawing rounds with betting
rounds betting rounds before, between and after. The player is allowed to
draw up to three cards per round (no four cards with an ace). Threes are
wild.
Winner:
High hand.
Strategy:
Don't throw away threes.
Players:
3-10.
Initial deal:
5 cards are dealt down to each player.
Play:
There is a round of betting. Each player can now trade cards freely with
every other player. Any number of cards can be exchanged, but a player
must give the same number of cards he is receiving. When all no more
trades are forthcoming, there is a final round of betting, then a
showdown.
Winner:
High hand wins the pot.
Players:
2-6
Initial deal:
Deal 5 cards to each player, as in 5 card draw.
Play:
Each player is dealt 5 cards and the goal is to make the lowest possible 5
card hand. There are four rounds of betting and three draws in this game.
After each round of betting, players choose cards to discard ... anywhere
from 0 to 5 ... and the dealer deals them replacement cards. After the
third and final draw, there is one last round of betting. A dealer button
determines the order of betting and discarding.
Winner:
Players try to make the lowest possible 5 card hand. Aces play for high
only and deuces play for low. Because you are trying to make the lowest
possible hand, straights and flushes count against you. This means that
23456, for example, is a very bad hand. It is not considered a 6-low. It
is a straight and is therefore worse than holding AKQJ9. The best hand is
23457 unsuited.
Stud Poker VariationsIn most types of Stud games, the players are dealt an initial amount of cards, and then one more card each time a betting round is completed until seven (or five in Five Card Stud) cards are dealt. In a few variations, the players are dealt all of their cards initially, and then reveal cards at certain mandated times during the betting rounds.
Players:
3-7.
Initial deal:
Same as 7-card stud.
Play:
Aces are always played high. Straights and flushes count.
Winner:
Low hand wins. The lowest hand is 2-3-4-5-7, hence, 2 to 7.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
7 cards.
Play:
Normal 7 card stud, no wilds, except a pair of 7's is the highest possible
hand. You cannot have three 7's anywhere in your 7 cards. Only a pair
counts. It gets very interesting when a seven gets dealt up.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two cards down to each player
Play:
A number of cards equal to the number of players is turned up in the
middle of the table. Each person then secretly chooses an amount of at
least the minimum bet and places it in their hand. Then everyone drops
their coins at once. The person who "bid" highest gets chooses
one of the up cards and adds it to his hand, leaving it face up in front
of him. The person who "bid" second highest chooses next, and so
forth. If more than one person bid the same amount, then the person
nearest a spot rotating clockwise from the left of the dealer chooses
first with the other people choosing in clockwise order. All bids are
added to the pot. This continues until all people have 7 cards. Then there
is a single betting round starting with the high hand on the table,
followed by a high/low/both declaration and a showdown.
Winner:
High and low hands split.
Players:
4-7.
Initial deal:
Same as 7 Card Stud.
Play:
Same as 7 Card Stud.
Winner:
High hand and the low spade in the hole split the pot.
Standard variations:
Adding wild cards.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two down and one up to each player
Play:
As with 7 card stud, with these exceptions: threes and nines are wild. If
a four is dealt face up, the recipient immediately receives another card
down.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
Rainouts - If the Queen of Spades is dealt face up, the hand is terminated
and redealt-but only for players who are still in.
Rainouts as above, but after 3 of them you build a dome over the stadium, preventing further rainouts. Paying for wild cards. Usually, the required payment is to match the pot. Possibilities include: Face-up threes, nines, or both require the recipient to pay for them to be wild, otherwise they're just face value. Face-up threes, nines, or both require the recipient to pay for them or fold. Pay for face down wilds as well as face up ones. Paying for the additional card when a four comes face up. Allowing someone with a face-down four to flip it face up and receive an additional card. Pay a fixed amount for wild and/or extra cards, like a quarter.
Players:
3-7.
Initial deal:
two cards down and one up to each player
Play:
Play the same as 7-card stud, with the following variations: All queens
are wild. Additionally, when a queen is dealt up, the next card dealt up
(and all cards of the same rank) is also wild. If another queen is dealt
up, the next up card replaces the previous wild as a new wild card (but
queens remain wild). If a queen is the last card dealt up, only queens are
wild. If the Queen of Spades is dealt face-up, the hand immediately ends.
All players re-ante and the hand is redealt.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
Pay for queens.
Queens are not wild. If last card up is a queen, only queens are wild (or nothing is wild) Progressive: All cards after a queen are wild (no cancellations-- not recommended for the squeamish).
(as in Baseball) 3's and 9's are wild. Wild cards require an additional
ante from the player. Common 4's get the player an extra card. The 'Blind'
part is that you cannot look at any of your hole cards until the showdown.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
Same as 5-card stud or 7-card stud.
Play:
Same as regular stud poker except that their are additional hand ranks
than in the standard games. The additional hand ranks are: 4-card straight
beats a pair, 4-card flush beats a 4-card straight, 2 pair beats a 4-card
flush. This adds more hands to shoot for, making stud more interesting.
Winner:
Same as standard stud poker.
Players:
3-8
Initial deal:
5 cards
Play:
The players play the house, Becoming very popular with online gaming. All
players ante up the predetermined amount.. Everyone gets 5 cards, Players
card are all face up, the dealer shows only 1 of his. If
you want to stay in, you bet exactly twice your ante, else fold. The
dealer needs A-K or better to qualify. If he doesn't qualify, he pays off
your ante only (if you're still in), no matter what you're holding. If he
qualifies, he pays off your ante and your bet if you beat him. The bet
(not the ante) pays off in multiples for: 2 pair (2x), trips (3x),
straight (4x), flush (5x), house (7x), 4 of a kind (20x?), straight flush
(50x?), royal (200x). Furthermore, you can put in a dollar at ante time to
be eligible for progressive payoffs. (You get these whether the dealer
qualifies or not. These vary by casino; where I was, a flush was worth
$50, house $100, 4 of a kind $250, straight flush 10%, royal 100% of the
pot. The pot was ~$96k where I played last, but I've seen it as high as
$290k. I understand it was originally a cruise ship game, hence the name.
Players:
3-8
Initial deal:
The first player to the dealer's left is dealt a card face down.
Play:
This is a variation of 5-card stud. After the first player is dealt a card
face down, that player must decide whether or not to keep that card or
replace it with one from the deck. If the player replaces a card, the
player places a marker on his card to indicate that a replacement has
occurred. Each player is entitled to only one replacement per hand. The
deal proceeds around the table until each player has received a down card.
There is a betting round. The deal continues with each player receiving an
up card toward completion of the 5-card stud hand. Each player who has not
drawn a replacement card must decide as each card is dealt to him, whether
a replacement is desired. There is a betting round after completion of
each dealing round.
Winner:
Low hand (A-2-3-4-6 lowest)
Players:
4-7
Initial deal:
Same as 7 Card Stud.
Play:
Same as 7 Card Stud.
Winner:
High hand and the high spade in the hole split the pot.
Standard variations:
Adding wild cards
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
After the ante, players are dealt two cards face down and one card face
up, as in 7 card stud.
Play:
7 card stud where the lowest hand showing gets to choose their card from
several face up cards. After a round of betting, one card is dealt face up
in the middle for every player. So if five people are playing, five cards
are dealt face up. The player who has the lowest hand showing gets to pick
which card they want. Hands are ranked as in low ball with ties going to
the player closest to the dealer's left. After that, the next lowest hand
chooses, and so on, until the highest hand takes the last card. Another
round of betting is followed by another round of face up cards, with the
lowest hand again choosing first. Players bet and there is a final round
of face up cards that players choose from. After betting, everyone is
dealt one more card face down (for a total of seven) followed by a final
round of betting and showdown. The player with the best five card hand
takes the pot. Strategy can be interesting, because it is often in a
player's best interest to choose a low card which will allow them to
choose early in the next round. Matching one of your down cards often
works well because you don't have a pair showing, which would cause you to
choose later in the next round. Straights and flushes can be chosen
without your up cards beating other's up cards. Of course, your selection
may also be influenced by trying to prevent the next player from getting
the card they want.
Standard variations:
5 Card: Players are dealt one card down and one card up. After
betting, one card is dealt face up in the middle for each player, with the
lowest hands choosing first as above. Players bet and choose twice more,
for a total of five cards. Showdown follows the final round of betting.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
Two cards down and one up to each player.
Play:
Deal and bet as in 7-card stud. After the betting round following the
final down card, all remaining players split their hands into a 5-card
hand and a 2-card hand. The 2-card hand must contain at least one down
card. The 5-card hand must be a better hand than the 2-card hand.
Following the split there is one more betting round.
Winner:
Highest 5-card hand and highest 2-card hand split the pot.
Players:
4-10.
Initial deal:
Three cards down to each player.
Play:
Players roll one of their two cards and then there is a betting round.
Players are dealt another card down and roll one of their remaining two
down cards, followed by a betting round. This continues until all players
have seven cards. Before getting the seventh card, a player must decide
whether or not to buy the Option. If he declines the Option, the card is
dealt down. If he buys the Option (at a cost of the maximum allowed bet),
the card is dealt up. Showdown after the final round of betting. High or
low hole card in each player's hand is wild for that player (and all other
cards of the same rank in that player's hand).
Winner:
High hand.
Standard variations:
High/Low Split.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two cards down and one up to each player
Play:
As in 7 card stud, with the following variations: whenever a natural pair
is dealt up to a player, the next card dealt up (and all cards of the same
rank) becomes wild. If another pair is dealt up, the next up card replaces
the previous wild as a new wild. If the second card of a pair is the last
up card, nothing is wild.
Winner:
High hand
Players:
3-6
Initial deal:
2 down, one up to each player
Play:
As in 7 card stud, with the following exceptions: Players only get 6
cards. Before the sixth card is dealt, each player beginning at the
dealer's left may exchange one card. If he discards an up card, he is
dealt a new up card; if he discards a down card, he gets a new down card.
A player may choose not to exchange. When all players have exchanged or
stood pat, the sixth card is dealt. After the ensuing round of betting,
players may make another exchange. This is followed by a final round of
betting and a showdown.
Standard variations:
Pay to exchange. With 5 players, this game can be played with 7 cards.
With 6 players, it can be played with 7 cards with the understanding that
some players may be unable to exchange cards in the second exchange. If
this is done, it is highly recommended that you also require players to
pay for the right to exchange-- this increases the chance that some
players will not exchange, giving all players the opportunity to make the
choice.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two cards down and one up to each player
Play:
Play the same as 7-card stud, with the following variations: All queens
are wild. Additionally, when a queen is dealt up, the next card dealt up
(and all cards of the same rank) is also wild. If another queen is dealt
up, the next up card replaces the previous wild as a new wild card (but
queens remain wild). If a queen is the last card dealt up, only queens are
wild.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
Pay for queens.
Queens are not wild. If last card up is a queen, only queens are wild (or nothing is wild) Progressive: All cards after a queen are wild (no cancellations-- not recommended for the squeamish).
Players:
3-10.
Initial deal:
Exactly like 7 card stud.
Play:
Play like 7 card stud, with the following exceptions: All fours are wild.
Only fours are wild. If a four gets dealt up to a player, then that player
gets an extra hole (down) card.
Winner:
High 5-card hand wins.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two cards down to every player and two up cards in a row on the table next
to the deck.
Play:
Beginning with the player to the dealer's left and rotating around the
table, each player has the opportunity to purchase a card. The leftmost up
card costs a nickel, the second up card costs a dime, and the top down
card from the deck costs 15 cents (feel free to adjust the amounts to suit
your group-- some play nickel-dime-quarter, for example). Up cards stay
up, down cards stay down. If the nickel up card is bought, the dime up
card slides down and becomes the new nickel card. If the nickel or dime
card is bought, the topmost card of the deck is dealt up to become the new
dime card. This continues until everyone has 7 cards. A showdown occurs
after one round of betting.
Winner:
High and low hands split
Standard variations:
3 up cards plus the deck, for purchase options of 5, 10, 15, and 25 cents.
Abyssinia: No cards are dealt initially. One card is turned face up on each side of the deck. Each player in turn has must buy one of the up cards or the top card from the deck, each at preset prices. After each round of purchasing comes a round of betting. Play continues until each player has 5 (or 7) cards. Costs are assigned by card rank (2-5 = 25 cents, 6-K = 10 cents, A = 50 cents). Cardsfrom the deck are dealt up so the cost can be paid. Players may hold cards purchased. Grocery Store Dots: Two cards down and one up to each player, plus three up cards to the table (the grocery store) with the left-hand card marked with a chip. Deal and bet as in 7-card stud, with the following exception: before being dealt each up card, each player has the choice instead to buy his card from the grocery store. First card (the marked one) costs one betting unit, the second costs 2, and the third costs 3. If the player chooses not to buy, then he is dealt an up card normally. Prior to each potential purchase, the store is restocked as necessary from the deck. Note that this means that, if the dealer buys a card, the store shows only two cards during the ensuing betting round-- it is not restocked until the next dealing round. The remaining store stock is discarded after all players have four up cards. "Dots" consist of the pips in the center column of each number card: threes have 3 dots; twos, eights, and tens have 2 dots; aces, fives, sevens, and nines have 1 dot; fours, sixes, and face cards have no dots. Highest 5-card hand and the 7-card hand with the most dots split the pot.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
As in 7-card stud.
Play:
Same as 7-card stud except that jacks and kings are wild. A queen in a
hand nullifies any wild jacks and kings in that player's hand. Three
queens in a player's hand is a harem and that player wins automatically.
Winner:
High hand.
Standard variations:
No peek.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
2 down, 1 up to each player.
Play:
As in 7 card stud, but whenever a player is dealt a heart face up, he
takes a card (either up or down) from another player. The player whose
card is taken does not draw a replacement.
Winner:
High hand.
Standard variations:
Trade a Heart: You must trade one of your own cards (up for up,
down for down) with the card you take.
Players:
3-5
Initial deal:
10 cards down to each player
Play:
Players split their cards into two 5-card hands, laying each hand down in
their desired order. Each rotating betting round is preceded by all
players turning over the top cards from both of their hands.
Winner:
High and low hands split
Standard variations:
Add wild cards.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
2 cards down and one card up to each player.
Play:
Normal seven card stud until a Jack is turned face-up. The player with the
Jack may then name any 7 card stud game, and the rest of the hand is
played out as that game. If another Jack is turned up, the owner of that
Jack may name a different stud game, and so forth. The game named must be
an accepted, named game within your poker circle-- no calling "6's
wild" when you've got a pair of sixes (unless, of course, your group
routinely plays a sixes wild game). A face-down Jack may be turned up at
any time, at which point that player names a game. To prevent timing
conflicts, before the final round of betting the dealer should ask each
player, in turn, if they wish to reveal a jack, starting with the player
with the best hand showing and proceeding clockwise. Any player who
declines to show a Jack when asked at this time forfeits the ability to do
so for the rest of the hand.
Winner:
High hand, unless changed by the game called.
Players:
3-8.
Initial deal:
The first player to the dealer's left is dealt a card face down.
Play:
This is a variation of 5-card stud. After the first player is dealt a card
face down, that player must decide whether or not to keep that card or
replace it with one from the deck. If the player replaces a card, the
player places a marker on his card to indicate that a replacement has
occurred. Each player is entitled to only one replacement per hand. The
deal proceeds around the table until each player has received a down card.
There is a betting round. The deal continues with each player receiving an
up card toward completion of the 5-card stud hand. Each player who has not
drawn a replacement card must decide as each card is dealt to him, whether
a replacement is desired. There is a betting round after completion of
each dealing round.
Winner:
High hand.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two cards down and one up to each player
Play:
Play the same as 7-card stud, with the following variations: All queens
are wild. Additionally, when a queen is dealt up, the next card dealt up
(and all cards of the same rank) is also wild. If another queen is dealt
up, the next up card replaces the previous wild as a new wild card (but
queens remain wild). If a queen is the last card dealt up, only queens are
wild. The King of Diamonds, which is holding an axe, kills the hand for
everyone or just for the player turning it.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
Pay for queens.
Queens are not wild. If last card up is a queen, only queens are wild (or nothing is wild)
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
7 cards face down (don't look).
Play:
It is a mixture of Mexican Sweat and Follow the Queen (the name, La Puta,
was derived from the mixture ... 'Follow the sweaty Mexican queen', hence,
'La Puta'. We all agreed that the full title was a bit much).
Anyway, deal seven cards face down and don't look at them. Flip a card to
beat. Play as in Mexican Sweat except that any card that follows a Queen
is wild as in and with any possible suitable variants of Follow the Queen.
The most interesting aspect of this variant is that people stay in to the
bitter end just to see if one of their cards will be made wild by the
turning of a Queen. We play that if a Queen turns last, then Queens are
wild.
Standard variations:
Howard's Poker: Queens are always wild.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
seven cards face down to each player and one up card on the table.
Play:
Do not look at your cards! This game is similar to Midnight
Baseball, but without all the special cards. The player to the dealer's
left is the lead player. The lead player starts rolling cards until his
revealed hand beats the highest revealed hand on the table (initially, the
single up card). As soon as his revealed hand becomes the best hand, he
stops rolling cards and begins a round of betting. If he rolls all his
cards and does not beat what is on the table, he is out and a betting
round begins with the high hand. Either way, the next player becomes the
new lead player and the process repeats, with a round of betting whenever
someone stops rolling cards. If at any time the lead player rolls a card
of the same rank as the card dealt up from the deck at the initial deal,
he must immediately fold and a betting round begins with the high hand.
The game continues until all the cards have been turned up or there is
only one person left in the game.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
If a player rolls all his cards without beating the high hand, there is no
betting round-- the next player begins rolling immediately.
If a player folds because he matches the initial up card, there is no betting round. Deal three cards up initially, a beat card, a wild card, and a killer card (kills only players who turn the remaining three cards).
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
seven cards face down to each player and one up card on the table.
Play:
Do not look at your cards! This game is similar to baseball, except
you can't look at your cards until they're flipped up. The player to the
dealer's left is the lead player. The lead player starts rolling cards
until his revealed hand beats the highest revealed hand on the table
(initially, the single up card). He must obey any payment rules which
apply as he flips cards (paying for wild cards, fours, etc). As soon as
his revealed hand becomes the new best hand, he stops rolling cards and
begins a round of betting. If he rolls all his cards and does not beat
what is on the table, he is out and a betting round begins with the high
hand. Either way, the next player then tries to beat the high hand in the
same manner, with a betting round ensuing whenever someone stops rolling
cards. The game continues until all the cards have been turned up or there
is only one person left in the game.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
If a player rolls all his cards without beating the high hand, there is no
betting round-- the next player begins rolling immediately.
Players can look at their cards and lay down the cards of their choice until their exposed hand beats what's on the table. Makes this game more strategic.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two cards down to each player
Play:
Rotating lead player. At the start of each round, the dealer flips up the
top card and offers it to the leader. The leader can either accept it or
pass. If passed, the card is then offered to the next player, who can also
accept it or pass. If passed, the next player must take the card. A new
card is turned up and offered to the next player in turn. This continues,
skipping players who already received a card in the current round, until
everyone has taken a card. Betting ensues, and a new round begins. This
continues until everyone has four up cards. After that round of betting,
everyone gets a 7th card down. After a final round of betting, everyone
declares high/low/both and a showdown occurs.
Winner:
High and low hands split
Standard variations:
Each person in turn can reject the first card dealt to them, but must take
the next card.
Play as in 5-card Stud.
Players:
4-7
Initial deal:
Same as 7 Card Stud.
Play:
Same as 7 Card Stud.
Winner:
High hand and the low (or high) heart in the hole split the pot.
Standard variations:
Adding wild cards.
Players:
3-6 (tricky with 6-- may not have enough cards)
Initial deal:
5 down to each player.
Play:
Immediately after the draw, players show 3 cards. After a round of
betting, players receive one card up. Bet. Receive a last card down. Bet,
then showdown. Each player may use all seven of their cards to make a
winning hand.
Winner:
High and low hands split.
Players:
3-7.
Initial deal:
Same as 7-card stud.
Play:
Straights and flushes do not count.
Winner:
Low hand wins. The best low hand is A-2-3-4-5.
Players:
4-10.
Initial deal:
Three cards down to each player.
Play:
Players roll one of their neighbor's two cards and then there is a betting
round. Players are dealt another card down and roll one of their
neighbor's remaining two down cards, followed by a betting round. This
continues until all players have seven cards: three down, four up.
Showdown after the final round of betting. High or low hole card in each
player's hand is wild for that player (and all other cards of the same
rank in that player's hand). The dealer decodes whether each player rolls
their right or left neighbor's cards.
Winner:
High hand.
Standard variations:
High/Low Split.
Players:
4-10
Initial deal:
Three cards down to each player.
Play:
Players roll one of their two cards and then there is a betting round.
Players are dealt another card down and roll one of their remaining two
down cards, followed by a betting round. This continues until all players
have seven cards: three down, four up. Showdown after the final round of
betting. High or low hole card in each player's hand is wild for that
player (and all other cards of the same rank in that player's hand).
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
High/Low Split.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
7 cards.
Play:
Same as 7-card stud. WILDS: RED ACES, RED NINES, RED SEVENS (1917- get
it?) Remember, RED 9,7,ACES (six cards total) DEAL: Usual 2-down, 4-up,
1-down, EXCEPT: For the up-cards, if you are dealt any FACE CARDS (no, the
other Aces do not count) you have the option of either BUYING a NEW CARD
or FOLDING. If your new card is a FACE CARD, you must buy another or fold.
In other words, you can't win with any royalty showing. However, any Face
cards in the hole are SAFE.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
Two cards down and one up to each player
Play:
Deal and bet as in 7-card stud. Cards speak for themselves to form the
best poker hand available within those 7 cards.
Winner:
Second highest hand, or the only remaining hand if all but one player
fold.
Standard variations:
Play in any standard poker format (draw, 5-card stud, etc) Play with wild
cards Second-low in a lowball format Split pot between the highest and
second highest hands
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
2 down, 1 up to each player
Play:
As in 7 card stud, but: if a 2 turns face up, all twos become wild. If
after that a 3 turns up, all threes are wild instead. And so on, with each
successively higher number replacing the previous wild card rank if it
appears face up.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
High/low
Players:
3-8
Initial deal:
As in 7-card stud. except with only six (6) cards total.
Play:
Same as 7-card stud except that after the sixth card is dealt and the bets
are made, each player in turn may pay to have a card in their hand
replaced. An up card is replaced by an up card and a down card is replaced
by a down card. The cost of getting an up card is one times the minimum
bet. The cost of getting a down card is two times the minimum bet. A
betting round is held after each kick (draw). There are two kicks total,
then the final bet and showdown.
Winner:
High-Low split.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
In 5-card stud, each player is initially dealt one card down and one card
up. All other cards are dealt up until a total of five cards have been
dealt to each player. In 7-card stud, each player is initially dealt two
cards down and one card up. All other cards are dealt up until a total of
six cards have been dealt to each player. The seventh card is dealt down
to each player.
Play:
Betting begins after the deal. After each round of betting, each player is
dealt their next card until each remaining player has the required number
of cards. A betting round occurs after all players are dealt the next
card. A showdown occurs after the last round of betting.
Winner:
High hand wins.
Standard variations:
Adding wild cards. (Like 'mustashes', deuces, etc.)
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
two cards down and one up to each player
Play:
Play the same as 7-card stud, with the following variations: All queens
are wild. Additionally, when a queen is dealt up, the next card dealt up
(and all cards of the same rank) is also wild. If another queen is dealt
up, the next up card replaces the previous wild as a new wild card (but
queens remain wild). If a queen is the last card dealt up, only queens are
wild. The King of Hearts, which has a sword stuck in its head, kills the
hand for everyone or just for the player turning it.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
Pay for queens.
Queens are not wild. If last card up is a queen, only queens are wild (or nothing is wild)
Players:
3-5
Initial deal:
10 cards down to each player Do not look at your cards! Each player
flips a card and quickly, without looking at the other players' cards,
places it face up to his left or to his right. Cards on the left form a
hand going low, while cards on the right form a hand going high. There
follows a round of betting. Repeat until all 10 cards are up. No hand can
have more than 5 cards. Cards speak for themselves when the last one is
flipped.
Winner:
High and low hands split
Standard variations:
Add wild cards.
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
2 cards down, 1 up to each player, three down on the table
Play:
The same as 7 card stud with these modifications: After the fourth card is
dealt, flip the first of the table cards. This is The Good, and is all
cards of the same rank are wild (but The Good card itself is not shared).
After the fifth card is dealt, flip the second table card. This is The
Bad, and all cards of the same rank must be discarded. After the 6th card
is dealt, flip the last table card. This is The Ugly, and anyone who has
an up card of the same rank must fold.
Winner:
High hand
Players:
3-7
Initial deal:
Two cards down and one up to each player, plus four up cards to the table
(Wall Street) with the leftmost card marked with a chip.
Play:
Deal and bet as in 7-card stud, with the following exception: before being
dealt each up card, each player has the choice instead to buy his card
from Wall Street. The first (marked) card costs one betting unit, the
second card costs two units, the third costs 3 and the fourth 4. If the
player chooses not to buy, an up card is dealt normally. Prior to each
potential purchase, Wall Street is restocked from the deck if necessary.
Note that this means that if the dealer buys a card, Wall Street shows
only 3 cards during the ensuing betting round. The remaining Wall Street
stock is discarded once all players have 4 up cards. After the betting
round following the last down card players declare high-low, then hold one
last betting round.
Winner:
High and low hands split the pot.
Players:
4-7.
Initial deal:
Same as 7 Card Stud.
Play:
Same as 7 Card Stud, except: Each player's lowest down card is wild for
that player, along with all cards of the same rank.
Winner:
High Hand.
Standard variations:
Adding wild cards.
Shared-Card Poker Variations
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Omaha Hold'Em except that the shared cards are dealt in a cross
formation.
Play:
Shared cards are exposed one-at-a-time with betting prior to each exposure
and after the last exposure. As in Baseball, 3's and 9's are wild. A four
exposed gets everyone an extra card. Players may be required to pay the
minimum bet for each exposed wild card.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-9
Initial deal:
five cards down to each player, five cards down to the table arranged in a
cross.
Play:
As in Cincinatti, with the table cards revealed clockwise with the center
card last. Players may only use cards from one arm of the cross to form
their hands.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
High/low Center card is wild.
Players:
3-9
Initial deal:
five cards down to each player, five cards down to the table.
Play:
One of the table cards is flipped up, followed by a round of betting.
Repeat until all five cards have been flipped (players keep their own
cards face down). A showdown follows the last round of betting, with each
player making the best hand possible using their own cards and the five on
the table.
Winner:
High hand
Standard variations:
High/low.
Whoever has the highest card of the same suit as a specified table card (usually the 3rd or 5th) gets half the pot. If you use the 3rd card, expect someone to raise the maximum every time during the last 3 betting rounds.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em.
Play:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that the lowest shared card is wild for all
players.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player
instead of 2.
Play:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player each player must discard
one card after the flop.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-11
Initial deal:
2 cards down to each player, Three cards down to the table.
Play:
Cards are flipped from the table one at a time with a betting round after
the deal and after each flip. The last table card flipped is wild along
with all cards in play that match it in rank.
Winner:
High hand.
Players:
4-11
Initial deal:
four cards to each player and seven down on the table, arranged in two
columns of three (the shafts) with one in between (the elevator).
Play:
Table cards are turned up one at a time, followed by betting rounds. The
player will use the four cards in his hand along with three on the table
to create a seven card hand. The player must use the elevator and one card
from each shaft, and the three cards must be in a line, though the
elevator can be in any of the three possible positions. For example, the *
cards in the following table cards could be used:
* * * C C C C * C C * C C * * * C C C * C C * C C C C C * * * C * * C So the middle card can be thought of to be on any "floor". The order of determing which card to flip is such that the elevator is turned over last and no two shaft cards which can be used in the same hand be turned up until necessary. After all seven cards have been turned up, there is a final betting round and then each player must declare whether they are going high, low or both. If going for both, both hands must be made up of the four cards in their hand and the same set of three from the table.
Winner:
High and low hands split
Standard variations:
The elevator card is wild. Different rows can be used for high and low
hands when going both ways.
Players:
3-20
Initial deal:
3 cards down to each player, five cards down to the table
Play:
A round of betting is held after the deal, then one of the table cards is
turned up. It is wild, along with all cards of the same rank. Another
round of betting follows. Repeat until all four table cards are up. Each
time a table card is flipped, if it is the lowest showing table card it
(and all cards of the same rank) become wild, replacing the previous wild
cards.
Winner:
High hand
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Omaha Hold'Em.
Play:
Same as Omaha Hold'Em except that the lowest shared card is wild for all
players.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
4 cards down to each player and five cards down to the table.
Play:
Identical to Texas Hold 'Em except that the final hands must include
exactly 2 of the player's four cards and exactly 3 of the table's five
cards.
Winner:
High Hand.
Standard variations:
High-Low Split 8: High and low hands split the pot, but the low
hand must be 8-low (no card in the low hand can be higher than an eight)
or lower or the high gets it all. The cards speak for themselves. It is
possible for a player to win both high and low, with, for instance, a
A-2-3-4-5. That player has both a straight and a perfecr low hand.
Generally speaking, for all low-ball games, straights and flushes do not
count in determining the low hand.
Players:
3-11
Initial deal:
Ante. 3 cards down to each player, Four cards down to the table in
Baseball Diamond formation.
Play:
Cards are flipped from the table one at a time starting with 'First Base'
and ending at 'Home Plate' with a betting round after the deal and after
each flip. If the last table card flipped is a face card, then the hand is
dead, the remaining players (those that did not fold) re-ante, and a new
hand is dealt. 3's and 9's are wild as in baseball. A four flipped on the
table gets each remaining player an extra card. Wild cards may require an
extra payment to the pot to make them wild and to sweeten the pot.
Winner:
High hand.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player
instead of 2.
Play:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player each player must discard
one card before the flop.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-12
Initial deal:
4 cards down to each player, one card is dealt up in the middle.
Play:
Each player receives only 4 cards. The card in the middle is shared by all
players and, along with all other cards of the same rank, is wild.
Winner:
High hand
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player
instead of 2.
Play:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player may use all 3 hole cards to
make their hand.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player
instead of 2.
Play:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player may use only 2 hole cards
to make their hand.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em.
Play:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except. that after the flop is dealt and the
betting round is finished, each player may pay the lowest stake for each
card he/she wishes to exchange for a new card from the deck. After the
next roll and betting round are finished, each player may pay twice the
lowest stake for each card he/she wishes to exchange for a new card from
the deck. After the last roll and betting round are finished, each player
may pay three times the lowest stake for each card he/she wishes to
exchange for a new card from the deck. After the last draw, there is a
final betting round, then the showdown. If no cards were drawn during the
last exchange, there is no extra betting round.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
2 cards down to each player, five cards down to the table.
Play:
A round of betting is held after the deal, then three of the table cards
are turned up. Another round of betting follows. One more table card is
flipped, followed by another round of betting. The last card is flipped, a
final round if betting ensues, and finally a showdown in which players
make their best hands using their 2 and the table's 5.
Winner:
High hand
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em.
Play:
Same as Texas Hold 'Em except, as in Baseball, 3's & 9's are wild
(players pay low stake for each common wild card). A common 4 gets each
player an extra card.
Winner:
High Hand.
Standard variations:
Extra Inning: A sixth common card is dealt. This adds an additional
round of betting.
Players:
3+
Initial deal:
2 cards down to each player, nine cards up to the table arranged in a 3x3
grid.
Play:
All players place three blue chips in front of them (henceforth called
"posts"). Betting starts to the dealer's left. At the showdown,
players announce their best hand using their two cards plus any vertical,
diagonal, or horizontal row of three cards from the table. Note that you
must announce your hand-- if you miss a better one, too bad. High hand
takes the pot, and all other players must toss one of their posts (if any
still remain) into a separate pot. All cards are then discarded and a new
hand dealt (without shuffling the deck if enough cards remain) to all
players who still have posts. Play continues in this manner until only one
player has posts left. That player collects the post pot and the game
ends.
Winner:
High hand gets the pot; last player with posts gets the posts.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Texas Hold'Em.
Play:
The same basic rules apply as in as Texas Hold'Em, with the following
exceptions: 1) six (6) community cards are dealt, two (2) at a time,
hence, "Triple-Flop"; 2) only three (3) community cards can be
used by a given player to make their hand.
Winner:
High Hand.
Standard variations:
Immediately after the third flop, each player, in turn, may opt to
"buy" another down card for a chip price that is pre-determined
by the house, often based on the current stakes, such as 1x, 1.5x, or 2x
the highest bet allowed in the game, i.e, $24 in a $6 and $12 limit game;
$12 in a $3 and $6 limit game, etc. This option is not as practical in no
limit games as it is in limit games.
Notes:
This game will tend to produce larger pots, fewer splits, and additional
chances for a player to "make" a winning hand.
Players:
3-10
Initial deal:
Same as Omaha Hold'Em.
Play:
Same as Omaha Hold'Em except that, as in Baseball, 3's and 9's are wild.
Community wild cards require an additional ante per player. Common 4's get
each player an extra card.
Winner:
High Hand.
Players:
3-9
Initial deal:
five cards down to each player, four cards down to the table arranged in a
Z:
13 _42
Play:
The game begins with a betting round, the lead of which rotates each
round. After each betting round, flip one of the table cards in the order
indicated above (card 1 in the first round, card 2 in the second, etc.).
After the last card is flipped there is one more round of betting, and
then players form a hand from three of their own cards and any two
orthagonally adjacent table cards (1&3, 3&4, 4&2), which they
reveal in the showdown.
Winner:
High and low hands split, but the low must be 8-high or better (lower) or
else the high hand gets the whole pot.
Miscellaneous Poker Variations
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Strip Poker
This is a card game that some people like to talk about or imagine, but is probably not often really played. The basic idea is to play a game of poker in which the losers have to remove items of clothing.
There are a number of different ways in which this can be organized.
Intimate Poker is a deck of cards with a range of forfeits specified on each card. The loser selects a card of the winner's hand and must perform one of the forfeits (some of which are to remove items of clothing) depending on the number of times the pot was raised.
With Video Poker software and on-line games, you play poker against the computer or on-line server. Your reward, if you win, is to see the model against whom you are playing progressively unclothed.
This is not really a poker game, in that players do not bet against each other. It is an American casino game in which each individual plays against the bank. You ante and you and the bank get five cards each. After you have seen your hand and the bank's first card you must either
Let it Ride
In this casino banking game three cards are dealt to each player and two face down to the dealer. The player is paid according to how good a poker hand is made by the player's three cards plus the dealer's two cards.
To play this game you must place three equal stakes before the deal. After the cards are dealt you may look at your three cards and withdraw one of your stakes if you wish. The players must not see each other's cards. One of the dealer's cards is then faced and you have another opportunity to withdraw one of your stakes. So you will have one, two or three of your stakes still in front of you when the dealer's second card is exposed.
After exposing the second card, the dealer collects the remaining stakes of any players whose three cards together with the dealer's two cards to not form a pair of tens or better. The other players are paid according to their remaining stakes at the following fixed odds:
| Pair (10s or better) | .... | evens |
| Two pairs | .... | 2 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | .... | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | .... | 5 to 1 |
| Flush | .... | 8 to 1 |
| Full house | .... | 11 to 1 |
| Four of a kind | .... | 50 to 1 |
| Straight flush | .... | 200 to 1 |
| Royal flush | .... | 1000 to 1 |
This unusual poker variant was contributed by Michael Sanderson. The exact origin is unclear, but it seems that it may have originated in the Northeastern USA. The game was certainly played on the Brandeis University (in Massachussetts) campus, and now has a reasonable following in the Maryland-Virginia area as well. There are several poker games in Annapolis where this game is standard fare. It is not known how the game acquired the name "Napalm".
Michael Sanderson writes:
This has proven to be a very interesting game, calling for frequent bluffing and allowing substantial movement of money fairly quickly. We have found it to be a good game for a timid poker table. Perhaps the most interesting facet is that the "winner" of the game (getting 5 tokens first) may not be the biggest money winner, as the side bets can collectively eclipse the final pot amount.
Andy Latto reports that he learned this same game in 1979, under the name Whipsaw.
There are from 4 to 7 players. A game consists of a series of hands, the turn to deal passing to the left after each hand.
A regular poker deck is used, with 52 cards and no jokers. The game uses the standard ranking of poker hands, but aces always count as high cards, even when playing for lowest hand.
Players need a supply of chips (or money) for betting. You also need a collection of tokens which are different from the chips. Tokens do not have a direct monetary value; they start in a central store and are awarded to players in certain circumstances; the first player to collect five tokens wins the pot.
There are two main objectives:
At the start of each hand, each player antes one chip into the pot. The play of the hand is then in three stages.
Dealer starts by dealing two cards to each player. Each player looks at their own cards.
Starting at dealer's left and going round the table clockwise, each player makes a declaration "Yes" or "No", indicating whether they believe they may have the best two card hand of those dealt (a pair of aces is highest; any pair beats any two odd cards; highest odd card wins if no one has a pair; second card compared only if there is a tie for highest; 3-2 is the lowest hand; in a two-card hand flushes and straights have no value).
Each player has just one chance to say "Yes" or "No" except for one special case: if the dealer, declaring last, sees that all others have said "No" and then says "Yes," each other player in turn has the opportunity to "challenge" the dealer by changing their "No" announcement to a "Yes."
After all declarations, there are three possibilities:
Dealer deals three additional cards to each player (players keep their original two as well), and each player then makes a declaration based on their belief that they have the lowest hand of five cards. Aces still count as high, and straights and flushes now count, so the best (lowest) possible hand for this stage is 2-3-4-5-7. After the round of declarations, tokens are awarded or side bets resolved in exactly the same way as for stage one, described above. Between several players who said "Yes", the lowest poker hand wins.
Dealer deals two additional cards to each player, so that everyone has seven in all. Each player then makes a declaration based on having the highest 5-card poker hand (selecting whichever 5 of their 7 cards make the best hand). The declarations and token award or side bets are again handled as in the first stage, with the highest five-card poker hand winning any contest between players who said "Yes". The cards are then thrown in and shuffled, the turn to deal passes to the left, and a new hand begins with stage one, each player putting another chip into the pot.
With each new dealer, each player antes an additional chip. (By player agreement, this may be limited to every other new dealer, to keep the pot from rising too quickly).
As soon as any player collects five tokens (or another pre-agreed target number) the game is immediately over, and the winner (the player with the five tokens) takes all the chips in the pot.
Pai Gow Poker
This is a casino gambling game based on the Chinese Domino game Pai Gow but played with poker combinations. It can be played by up to seven players.
A pack of 52 cards plus one joker is used. The joker is a wild card which can be used only as an ace, or to complete a straight, a flush or a straight flush.
On each deal the dealer plays against the other players. Before the deal, each of the other players puts up a stake.
Seven cards are dealt to each player. All players other than the dealer look at their cards and divide them to form two hands - a two card hand and a five card hand. The relative values of the five card hands are the same as in poker, with one exception: A-2-3-4-5 is the second highest type of straight or straight flush, ranking between A-K-Q-J-10 and K-Q-J-10-9. Five aces is the highest hand, beating a straight flush. For the two card hand, any pair beats any two unmatched cards, but no other combinations are possible.
The player must arrange the cards so that the five card hand is higher than the two card hand (so if the two cards were a pair of aces, the five card hand would have to contain two pairs or better). Players are not allowed to discuss their hands at any stage.
The players place their two hands face down, and when all are ready, the dealer's seven cards are exposed. The other players may not touch their cards from this point on. The dealer forms the seven exposed cards into a five and a two in the same way as the players.
Then all the players' cards are exposed. The result between the dealer and each player is determined by comparing the player's 5 card hand with the dealer's 5 card hand and the player's 2 card hand with the dealer's 2 card hand:
top
Select a category of poker variants to look at
Draw Stud
Shared Card Miscellaneous
Non Poker
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Poker Variations
