USPC Card Game Rules Archive A Brief History of Playing Cards Choosing Which Games To Play General Rules That Apply to All Card Games Bridge and Whist Games Poker and Its Many Versions Casino Games Rummy Games Hearts and Other Trick-Taking Games Pinochle and Related Games Cribbage and Counting Games The Stops Family Childrens Card Games Solitaire Games Glossary / Index

Poker and Its Many Versions

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Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
5-8 (2-14)	52 (53)	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

As early as the sixteenth century, Germans played a bluffing game which they called "Pochen." It later developed into a French version, called "Poque," which was eventually brought over to New Orleans and played on the riverboats that plied the Mississippi.

In the 1830s, the game was refined further and became known as Poker. During the Civil War, the key rule about drawing cards to improve one's hand was added. A variation - Stud Poker - appeared at about the same time.

Today, Poker is truly an international game, enjoyed in virtually every country where card games are played. There are hundreds of versions of Poker, and the game is played not only in private homes, but also in countless Poker rooms at famous casinos. Poker can be played socially for pennies or matchsticks, or professionally for thousands of dollars. There is plenty of luck in Poker, but the game requires incredibly great skill as well, and each player is the master of his own fate.

As with Backgammon and Gin Rummy, the luck-to-skill ratio is hard to quantify, but with games such as these, a novice can win in a short session; however, over the course of playing for many hours, the better player will invariably prevail. Herbert O. Yardley, who wrote the classic book The Education of a Poker Player in 1957, said that he never lost at more than three consecutive sessions. Indeed, if a player constantly loses in more sessions than he wins, then such a player is not just unlucky; he is simply being outplayed. With the exception of Bridge, Poker demands more skill than any other card game. Some people would debate even this statement and say that Poker stands at the very apex of card games requiring skill.

General Rules of Poker

Number of Players. Any number of players from two to 14 may play in one of the various forms of Poker, but most experienced players consider five to eight players ideal. Everyone plays for himself. There are never any partnerships in Poker.

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack, sometimes with the addition of one or two jokers, is used. Poker is a one-pack game, but today, in virtually all games played in clubs and among the best players, two packs of contrasting colors are utilized in order to speed up the game. While one pack is being dealt, the other is being shuffled and prepared for the next deal. The procedure for two packs is as follows: While the deal is in progress, the previous dealer assembles all the cards from the pack he dealt, shuffles them, and places them to the left. When it is time for the next deal, the shuffled deck is passed to the next dealer. In many games in which two packs are used, the dealer's left-hand opponent, instead of his right-hand opponent, cuts the pack.

In clubs, it is customary to change cards often and to permit any player to call for new cards whenever he wishes. When new cards are introduced, both packs are replaced, and the seal and cellophane wrapping on the new decks should be broken in full view of all the players.

Object of the Game. The goal of each player is to win the pot which contains all the bets that the players have made in any one deal. A player makes a bet in hopes that he has the best hand, or to give the impression that he does. In most Poker versions, the top combination of five cards is the best hand.

Poker Hands. While Poker is played in innumerable forms, a player who understands the values of the Poker hands and the principles of betting can play without difficulty in any type of Poker game. Except in a few versions of the game, a Poker hand consists of five cards. The various combinations of Poker hands rank from five of a kind (the highest) to no pair or nothing (the lowest):

Five of a Kind. This is the highest possible hand and can occur only in games where at least one card is wild, such as a joker, the two one-eyed jacks, or the four deuces. Examples of five of a kind would be four 10s and a wild card or two queens and three wild cards.

Straight Flush. This is the highest possible hand when only the standard pack is used, and there are no wild cards. A straight flush consists of five cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 of hearts. The highest-ranking straight flush is the A, K, Q, J, and 10 of one suit, and this combination has a special name: a royal flush or a royal straight flush. The odds on being dealt this hand are 1 in almost 650,000.

Four of a Kind. This is the next highest hand, and it ranks just below a straight flush. An example is four aces or four 3s. It does not matter what the fifth, unmatched card is.

Full House. This colorful hand is made up of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as three 8s and two 4s, or three aces and two 6s.

Flush. Five cards all of the same suit, but not all in sequence, is a flush. An example is Q, 10, 7, 6, and 2 of clubs.

Straight. Five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit is a straight. An example is 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.

Three of a Kind. This combination contains three cards of the same rank, and the other two cards each of a different rank, such as three jacks, a seven, and a four.

Two Pairs. This hand contains a pair of one rank and another pair of a different rank, plus any fifth card of a different rank, such as Q, Q, 7, 7, 4.

One Pair. This frequent combination contains just one pair with the other three cards being of different rank. An example is 10, 10, K, 4, 3.

No Pair. This very common hand contains "nothing." None of the five cards pair up, nor are all five cards of the same suit or consecutive in rank. When more than one player has no pair, the hands are rated by the highest card each hand contains, so that an ace-high hand beats a king-high hand, and so on.

 

Two hands that are identical, card for card, are tied since the suits have no relative rank in Poker. In such a case, the tied players split the pot. Note that if two hands contain the same high pair, then the ranking of the next card in the hands determines which one wins. For example: 9, 9, 7, 4, 2 beats 9, 9, 5, 3, 2. Likewise, two hands that have identical pairs would be decided by the fifth card. For example: Q, Q, 6, 6, J beats Q, Q, 6, 6, 10.

How the Betting Works. In the course of each Poker deal, there will be one or more betting intervals in which the players have an opportunity to bet on their hands. Betting is the key to Poker, for the game, in essence, is a game of chip management. Minimizing losses with poor hands and maximizing winnings with good hands is the underlying skill that Poker requires.

Before the cards are even dealt, the rules of the Poker game being played may require that each player put an initial contribution, called an "ante," of one or more chips into the pot, to start it off.

Each betting interval, or round, begins when a player, in turn, makes a bet of one or more chips. Each player to the left, in turn, must either "call" that bet by putting into the pot the same number of chips; or "raise," which means that he puts in more than enough chips to call; or "drop" ("fold"), which means that he puts no chips in the pot, discards his hand, and is out of the betting until the next deal.

When a player drops, he loses any chips he has put into that pot. Unless a player is willing to put into the pot at least as many chips as any preceding player, he must drop out.

A betting interval ends when the bets have been equalized - that is, when each player has either put in exactly as many chips as his predecessors or has dropped. There are usually two or more betting intervals for each Poker deal. After the final interval there is a "showdown," which means that each player who remains shows his hand face up on the table. The best Poker hand then takes the pot.

If a player makes a bet or a raise that no other player calls, he wins the pot without showing his hand. Thus, in Poker, there is a bluffing element, and the best combination of cards does not always win the pot! Bluffing is one of the key reasons why Poker is so popular.

If a player wishes to remain in the game without betting, he "checks." This means, in effect, that the player is making a "bet of nothing." A player may check provided no one before him in that betting interval has made a bet. If another player has bet, he cannot check but must at least call the bet or drop. A player who checks may raise a bet that has been raised by another player. This is called "sandbagging," which is allowed, unless it has been decided beforehand that this practice is forbidden. If all players check during a round of play, the betting interval is over, and all the players still in the pot remain in the game.

In each betting round, one player is designated as the first bettor, according to the rules of the game. The turn to bet always moves to the left, from player to player, and no one may check, bet, or even drop, except when it is his turn.

Knowing When to Bet. The ranking of Poker hands is based on mathematics. The less likely a player is to get a certain hand, the higher it ranks and the more likely it is to win the pot. For example, a player should not expect to be dealt a straight flush more than once in 65,000 hands, but he can expect to be dealt two pair about once in every 21 hands.

Unless a player is planning to bluff, he should not make a bet without holding a hand that he thinks may be the best. No Poker player can bet intelligently unless he knows what constitutes a good hand, a fair hand, and a bad hand. A table of the various Poker hands and the number of combinations of each in a pack of cards is provided. (See chart next page).

The Kitty. By unanimous or majority agreement, the players may establish a special fund called a "kitty." Usually the kitty is built up by "cutting" (taking) one low-denomination chip from each pot in which there is more than one raise. The kitty belongs to all the players equally, and it is used to pay for new decks of cards or for food and drinks. Any chips left in the kitty when the game ends are divided equally among the players who are still in the game. Unlike the rule in some other games, such as Pinochle, when a player leaves a Poker game before it ends, he is not entitled to take his share of chips that comprised part of the kitty.

Chips. Poker is almost always played with poker chips. For a game with seven or more players, there should be a supply of at least 200 chips. Usually, the white chip (or the lightest-colored chip) is the unit, or lowest-valued chip, worth whatever the minimum ante or bet is; a red chip (or some other colored chip) is worth five whites, and a blue chip (or some other dark-colored chip) is worth 10 or 20 or 25 whites or two, four or five reds. At the start of the game, each player "buys in" by purchasing a certain number of chips. All of the players usually buy in for the same amount.

Banker. One player should be designated as the banker, who keeps the stock of chips and records how many have been issued to each player or how much cash the player has paid for his chips. Players should make no private transactions or exchanges among themselves; a player with surplus chips may return them to the banker and receive credit or cash for them, while a player who wants more chips should obtain them only from the banker,

Betting Limits. There are different ways of fixing a betting limit. Some limit is necessary; otherwise a player with a lot more money would have, or would be perceived to have, an unfair advantage. Once fixed, the limit should be unalterable throughout the game unless the players unanimously agree to change the stakes. Some popular limit systems follow:

Fixed limit. No one may bet or raise by more than a stipulated number of chips, for example, two, or five, or 10. Usually this limit varies with the stage of the game: In Draw Poker, if the limit is five before the draw, it might be ten after the draw. In Stud Poker, if the limit is five in the first four betting intervals, it is ten in the final betting interval (and often ten whenever a player has a pair or better showing).

Pot limit. Any bet or raise is limited to the number of chips in the pot at that time. This means that a player who raises may count as part of the pot the number of chips required for him to call. If there are six chips in the pot, and a bet of four is made, the total is 10 chips; it requires four chips for the next player to call, making 14; and the player may then raise by 14 chips. But even when the pot limit is played, there should be some maximum limit, such as 50 chips.

Table stakes. The limit for each player is the number of chips the player has in front of him. If the player has only 10 chips, he may bet no more than 10 and he may call any other player's bet to that extent. In table stakes, no player may withdraw chips from the table, or return chips to the banker, until he leaves the game. A player may add to his stack, but only between the deal just completed and the beginning of the next deal.

Whangdoodles, or Roodles. In a fixed-limit game, it is often agreed that following any very good hand - a full house or better, for example - there will be one deal by each player of Jackpots, in which everyone antes double, and the betting limit is doubled for these deals as well.

Poverty Poker. A maximum limit is put on the number of chips any player may lose. Each takes out one stack at the start; if he loses that stack, the banker issues the player another, without charging for it, and in many cases, the player can get still a third stack free before dropping out of the game. (Some limit should be placed on the number of free stacks so that a player will have the incentive to play carefully.)

No limit. In these sessions, the "sky's the limit," but such games are rarely played today.

Limits on Raises. In almost all games played today, there is a limit on the number of raises at each betting interval, and this limit is invariably three raises.

Draw Poker and Stud Poker

The main forms of Poker are Draw Poker and Stud Poker. In Draw Poker, all the cards are dealt face down to the players. In Stud Poker, some of the cards are dealt face up as the betting progresses, so that all of the other players get to see a part of each player's hands.

Unless the host, or the rule of a club, has already established the game, the players should first decide what form of Poker they will play. Two factors should influence their decision: the number of players, and whether the group has only experienced players or has some inexperienced players. The following selections are recommended:

Two, three, or four players. Stud Poker in any form. Usually, with so few players, only the very experienced play Draw Poker and they will often use a stripped deck, which is a pack with cards removed, such as all the deuces (twos) and treys (threes).

Five to eight players. Any form of Poker, either Draw or Stud.

Nine or ten players. Five-card Stud Poker.

More than 10 players. One of the games in which fewer than five cards are dealt, such as Three-Card Monte or Spit-in-the-Ocean. All of the Poker variations are described later in this chapter. Another alternative with so many players is to simply form two tables and organize two separate games.

Dealer's Choice. When the Poker session is Dealer's Choice, each dealer has the privilege of naming the form of Poker to be played and to designate the ante, wild cards (if any), and the maximum limit of chips that can be wagered during each round. However, the dealer may not require one player to ante more than another. If a game such as Jackpots is selected and no one opens the betting, the same dealer deals again and everyone antes again.

Wild Cards. While most Poker purists choose to play with no wild cards, in many games, especially Dealer's Choice, various cards may be designated as wild. A wild card is specified by the holder to be a card of any rank or suit, such as a fifth queen, or the card needed to combine with the other four in a player's hand to form a straight or a flush. Wild cards in a Poker game add variety, and of course, they greatly increase the chances of getting a rare combination such as a full house or a straight flush. The usual choices for wild cards are as follows:

The joker. Note that most packs of cards include two jokers for use in such games as Canasta. Poker players are increasingly adding one or both jokers as wild cards.

The bug. This is the joker, but its wildness is limited: It counts as an ace; or as a card of any suit for making a flush; or as a card of any rank and suit for making a straight or straight flush.

Deuces. "Deuces Wild" is a popular form of Draw Poker. Every two is wild. Sometimes the joker is included as a fifth wild card. Note that the number of wild cards in a hand does not diminish it in anyway; thus, with deuces wild, five of a kind comprised of 10, 10, 2, 2, 2 (five 10s) beats 8, 8, 8, 8, 2 (five 8s).

One-eyed cards. The king of diamonds and the jacks of spades and hearts show only one eye, whereas the other face cards all have two eyes. One-eyed jacks are sometimes designated as wild cards, but the king of diamonds is rarely selected to be wild.

Low hole card. In Stud Poker, each player's lowest "hole" card (that is, the lowest card that is dealt face down and not seen by the other players) is wild. In Draw Poker, the wild card would be the lowest card in a player's hand. When such a card is designated, it means that every card of that rank in that player's hand is wild, but the fact that a certain card is wild in one player's hand does not make that same rank of card wild in other players' hands.

Laws and Ethics. In every game, a written code of Poker laws should be used as the final arbiter for settling all questions. No Poker laws are universally followed - there are many local customs and preferences - but the Poker laws in this book embrace the latest customs of the most expert games and are recommended for adoption. (see "The Laws of Poker," p. 79). It is a tradition of Poker that any club or group of players may make special rules, called "house rules," to suit their personal preferences. Of course, any such house rules should be written down.

Time Limit. Before play begins, the players should set a time limit for when the game ends and stick to it. Violation of this principle could eventually turn pleasant sessions into unpleasant ones. Often when the time for quitting is approaching, the host or one of the players will say "three more deals" or "through Zane's deal," so that players will know how many deals are left and can gauge their strategies accordingly.

Draw Poker

Principal Forms. There are several methods of playing Draw Poker, and they differ mostly in the rules governing betting. The essential features of the game, common to all varieties, are as follows:

Each player is dealt five cards face down, one at a time in rotation, beginning on the dealer's left. After the deal, there is a betting interval. The player on the dealer's left has the first right or obligation to bet.

When the first betting interval has ended, each active player in turn, beginning with the player on the dealer's left, may discard one or more cards, and the dealer then gives him, from the top of the undealt portion of the pack, face down, as many cards as he discarded. This is the draw. A player may, if desired, "stand pat" (draw no cards). Unless otherwise stated, the maximum number of cards a player may draw is three or, if the player shows an ace to all the other players, he may draw four. (In some games, especially in casinos, a player may draw four cards without exposing an ace, or may draw five cards - a fresh hand.) Note that, unlike some other card games, the player must always discard before taking any new cards for his draw.

After the draw, there is another betting interval, followed by a showdown.

 

All games of Draw Poker fall into one of two classes, depending on the betting rules:

Pass and Out. Also called Pass Out or Bet or Drop. In this method, whenever it is a player's turn, and if there has been no bet before him, he must bet the minimum allowed or drop out. In most games, this rule applies only before the draw. After the draw, a player may check. In some games, however, each player must bet or drop out before and after the draw. This procedure is followed in casinos where the House runs the game.

Pass and Back In. At his first turn, a player may pass (check) rather than bet, provided no previous player has made a bet. The first player to make a bet is said to open. Once the pot is opened, each player in turn has another chance to stay in or drop out. After the draw, a player may check. This procedure is common in home games and other social games, and is the one used in the versions of Poker explained later in this chapter.

The Ante. The players must decide in advance which of two methods they will adopt for the ante: Either each player antes one chip before the deal or the dealer antes one chip for all the players in the game before dealing. Thus, if there are six players in all, the dealer's ante is six chips.

Special Hands. To create more playable hands and enliven the game, many players give special value to one or more hands that are not among the traditional Poker hands:

Skip straight (also called Dutch straight or Kilter). Five cards in an alternate sequence, such as Q, 10, 8, 6, 4, or K, J, 9, 7, 5. This hand beats three of a kind but loses to a straight.

Round-the-corner straight. A sequence such as 3, 2, A, K, Q. Note that the hand 5, 4, 3, 2, A beats 4, 3, 2, 1, A, K, which beats 3, 2, A, K, Q, and so on. When both skip straights and round-the-corner straights are played, the skip straight ranks higher.

Bobtail or Fourflush. A four-card flush or a four-card straight in sequence with "both ends open." An example of the latter is 8, 7, 6, 5, with the fifth card not in sequence; A,K, Q, J is not a bobtail, because only a single card, the 10, will fill it; 9, 8, 6, 5 is not, because only a 7 will fill it, this being called an "inside straight." The bobtail beats a pair but loses to two pair.

Standard Draw Poker

This game is played as described beginning on (p. 65), and the player who makes the first bet does not need any minimum hand in order to bet. In other words, he can open the betting without even a pair. Once the betting round is complete and players have drawn their cards, the second betting round begins and the first hand again has the opportunity to bet.

Some players vary this game slightly by playing a "blind opening", whereby the first hand must open the pot and (usually) the next player must raise. This game is played "pass and out" (described above) before the draw, but usually "pass and back in" after the draw. This is the form of Poker played in private clubs when Draw Poker is selected instead of Stud. A variant of the blind opening is English or Australian Poker, in which a player who raises can double the preceding bet. (Raising in this game is often called "doubling".)

Jackpots

Once all players have placed their antes and the deal is completed, each player in turn has the right to "open" (make the first bet) but may not do so unless he has a pair of jacks or better. If no one opens (that is, every player passes), everyone antes again, and the same dealer deals again. (In some games, the deal passes to the left, even when no one opens.)

If any player opens, the first betting interval has begun. Each other player in turn after him (including players who passed on the first round) must drop, call, or raise, until this betting interval ends. The game then continues as in standard Draw Poker.

In Jackpots, the player who opens must "show openers" before he can discard his hand. He need show only as many cards as will prove to the other players that he had the requirements. Of course, if this player is in the showdown, he must show his entire hand.

Progressive Jackpots

This is the same as Jackpots, except that if no one can open with jacks or better on the first deal, on the next deal queens or better are required to open. If two deals in a row are passed out and no one can open, kings or better are required, then aces or better. In some games, players will progress all the way up to two pair or better. Alternatively, they can return to jacks or better after aces or better.

Jacks or Bobtail to Open

Many players use a rule that the first player may open either on a pair of jacks or better, or on any bobtail.

Deuces Wild

This is a regular game of Jackpots, but with all four deuces wild. Naturally, Deuces Wild can be played in virtually any Poker version, but it is most common in the game of Jackpots.

Double Draw

This version features a second draw after the second betting round, and then there is a third (final) betting round. Obviously, because of the extra betting round, the pots will be bigger, and with two draws, the final hands of the players will invariably be better.

Straight Poker

This may be the original form of Poker. Each player is dealt five cards face down. The players bet, and then there is a showdown. There is no draw in this version.

Cold Hands

In this version of Straight Poker, each player puts up an agreed ante. Five cards are then dealt to each player one at a time, face up, and the highest hand takes the pot. There is no draw and there are no rounds of betting.

The Wild Widow

Five cards are dealt face down to each player. Before the last round of cards is dealt, a card is turned up in the center of the table; the other three cards of that rank are wild. There is a betting interval, then the draw, and then the final betting interval.

Spit in the Ocean

Only four cards are dealt to each player. The next card in the pack is turned face up in the center of the table and it is considered to be the fifth card in each player's hand. This card is wild, and the other cards of the same rank are also wild throughout the game. After a betting interval, there is a draw as in standard Draw Poker, except that each player draws to a four-card hand. A player may draw up to four cards. After a final betting interval, there is a showdown.

Cincinnati

Five cards are dealt to each player plus another hand of five cards face down on the table. These cards are turned up one at a time, and there is a round of betting each time a card is exposed. Each player selects a hand of five cards from among the cards in his own hand and the five on the table.

Cincinnati Liz

This game is the same as Cincinnati, but the middle card of the five table cards is wild, or the lowest card on the table is wild. The players must agree in advance which form of the game they are going to play.

Round the World

This version is the same as Cincinnati, except that each player is dealt four cards and there are four cards in the center of the table, face down. Each player selects a hand of five cards from among the four cards in his own hand and the four on the table.

Shotgun

Three cards are dealt to each player face down and there is a round of betting. Other rounds of betting follow the dealing of the fourth and fifth cards. Players still in the game draw to improve their hands, and there is a final round of betting.

Three-Card Monte

One card is dealt to each player face down and two cards face up.A round of betting follows the dealing of each card. The usual Poker rankings prevail,except that two pairs, a full house, or four of a kind are not possible. Straights and flushes do count, but they are comprised of three cards only.

Two-Card Poker

In this game only two cards are dealt to each player, and the highest possible hand consists of two aces. There are no straights or flushes in this version. The game is usually played as in Straight Poker, with no draw.

Indian Poker

This is one-card poker, with an interesting twist. A single card is dealt face down to each player. On a signal from the dealer, each player simultaneously lifts his card, placing it on his forehead so that all of the other players can see it, but the player cannot see his own. There is a single round of betting and then a showdown, which at times, can be quite hilarious. In some games the suits have rank - spades (high), hearts, diamonds, clubs - so that the ace of spades would be the highest card, the ace of hearts the next highest, and so on.

Lowball

This is one of the most popular versions of Draw Poker, especially in the western United States. It is ideal for players who constantly complain about being dealt poor hands because in Lowball, the lowest hand wins the pot! The ace is always low, so that two aces are the lowest pair. Straights and flushes do not count, so the lowest possible hand is 5, 4, 3, 2, A, regardless of suits. This hand is called a "wheel" or a "bicycle" - named after Bicycle brand playing cards. In some games, 6, 4, 3, 2, A is the lowest hand possible, though the game really should be played with the "wheel" as the lowest.

There are no minimum requirements for opening the pot, and after the draw, a player may check. The betting for this round always begins with the active player nearest the dealer's left.

A satisfactory Lowball hand is 9-high (such as 9, 7, 5, 4, A), and a good low hand is 8-high. It is rare for a good player to have to draw two or three cards; most of the time, the winner will have stayed pat or drawn just one card.

Lowball can also be played as a version of Stud Poker.

 

Stud Poker

In Stud Poker, each player is dealt one or more hole cards, face down. The remainder of his cards are dealt face up. The two most popular standard Stud Poker games are Five-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud. After each player is dealt at least one card face up (upcard), and after each subsequent deal, there is a betting interval before dealing is resumed. Stud Poker has cut into the popularity of Draw Poker because there are more betting rounds (and thus, bigger pots), and there is a fascination about seeing some of the opponents' cards and trying to fathom what the hole card or cards may be.

Five-Card Stud

Two to ten people may play, though the game is best for five to eight players. There is no ante in some Five-Card Stud games, but the players agree in advance on the minimum that must be bet.

The dealer gives each player one card face down, and then each one card face up. The player with the highest upcard makes the first bet of at least the agreed-on minimum. In any later betting interval, the first bettor and players after him may check, unless and until a bet is made.

The first bettor in each betting interval is the player with the highest card or the highest Poker combination showing. If two or more players are tied for highest, the one nearest the dealer's left is the first bettor.

Following the first betting interval, the dealer gives another card face up to each active player in rotation; there is another betting interval, another round of face-up cards to the remaining active players, another betting interval, and then a final round of face-up cards and a final betting interval. Thus, each active player who is still in the game at the last round will have one card face down and four cards face up.

If two or more players remain after the final betting interval, there is a showdown in which each player turns up his hole card. If a bet or raise goes uncalled in any betting interval by all the other remaining players, the pot is taken by the bettor.

A player who drops must immediately turn all of his cards face down.

It is the dealer's duty, after each round of cards is dealt, to designate the first bettor (as by saying, "First king bets," or "Pair of sixes bets"). Also, after the third and fourth face-up cards are dealt, the dealer should indicate holdings that may become straights or flushes, as by saying "Possible straight" or "Possible flush." A possible straight or flush in no way determines the first bettor, however, except that in some games players agree that a fourflush will beat a pair in the showdown, and in these games a fourflush showing in the final betting interval bets first against a pair showing.

In a very large game, if there are not enough cards left in the pack for a final round of dealing, the dealer may flash a card from the top of the pack (turn it face up on the table), and this card serves as the common fifth card for all the hands.

Last Card Down

This is regular Five-Card Stud, except that the fifth card dealt is face down instead of face up.

Last Card Optionally Down

This game is similar to standard Five-Card Stud Poker, except that the player may turn up his hole card before the last round is dealt and ask for the fifth card to be dealt face down.

Mexican Stud

In this version of Five-Card Stud the first two cards are dealt to each player face down. Players look at their cards and select one to be placed face up. The concealed card is then wild for each player. After a round of betting, another card is dealt around face down. Each player then decides which of the two concealed cards to turn face up, and which to keep in his hand for a wild card. Another round of betting follows. The process continues until each player has four cards exposed and one wild card concealed. This card is wild only for the player who holds it; also wild for that player are all other cards of the same rank as the concealed card. After the final round of betting, all players still in the game show their concealed cards and announce the value of their hands.

Seven-Card Stud

The game of Seven-Card Stud is extremely popular, especially where the version of High-Low Poker is played (see p. 74). In High-Low games, the highest hand and the lowest hand split the pot.

Two to eight people may play, though the game is best for at least five players. In the initial deal, each player receives two cards face down and then one card face up, all dealt one at a time in rotation. There is then a betting interval. Each active player receives three more face-up cards and one more face-down card, in that order, with a betting interval after each round of cards that is dealt. In the showdown, each player turns up all his hole cards and selects five of the seven cards as his hand. The player must separate these five cards from the other two, which he discards. The cards then speak for themselves, as in any other form of Poker, and the player may not reclaim his two discards upon finding that a better five-card combination could have been made. In other respects the procedure is the same as in Five-card Stud.

Seven-Card Flip

Four face-down cards are dealt to each player. After examining them. the player turns up any two of the four. There is a betting interval, then play proceeds as in regular Seven-Card Stud. Three more cards are dealt, two up and one down, and there is a betting interval following each.

In another version, each player first receives two cards, one up and one down, followed by a betting interval; then another two cards, one up and one down, and another betting interval; then two cards a third time and a betting interval; then a seventh card face down. Each player then discards one face-down card and one face-up card, leaving a hand of three concealed cards and two exposed cards. The final betting interval and showdown follow.

Baseball

In this version, all nines and threes are wild, but when a three is dealt face up, the player who gets it must either match the pot (put into the pot as many chips as are already in it) or drop. If a four is dealt face up, it entitles the recipient to an additional hole card, which the dealer immediately provides, face down from the top of the pack.

Football

The same as Baseball, except that sixes and fours are wild. A four requires a player to match the pot or drop, and a deuce entitles a player to an extra hole card.

Heinz

Fives and sevens are wild, but a player dealt one of these cards face up must match the pot or drop.

Woolworth

Fives and tens are wild. A player dealt a five face up must pay five chips to the pot or drop, and a player dealt a ten face up must pay 10 chips to the pot or drop.

Six-Card Stud

The first five cards are dealt as in regular Five-Card Stud, but after the fourth betting interval, each player receives a second hole card. Then there is a final betting interval, and each player selects five of the six cards as his final hand.

Eight-Card Stud

The game is identical to Seven-Card Stud, except that each player receives an eighth card, dealt either up or down, as the dealer may decide in advance.

High-Low Poker

The basic idea of High-Low Poker is that the best Poker hand and the worst Poker hand split the pot. The original purpose of High-Low was to give holders of poor cards a chance to play. The game was found to be so enjoyable that it now rivals regular Poker in popularity, and it is a staple in Poker clubs and gambling casinos having a Poker room.

Forms of High-Low. Any form of Poker may be played high-low, whether or not there are wild cards, but the most popular version for high-low games is Seven-Card Stud. In a high-low game, there are usually two winners, the player with the highest hand taking half the pot and the player with the lowest hand taking the other half. The high hand takes the odd chip if the pot will not divide evenly. In some cases there may be a single winner, as that player wins both the high hand and low hand (see explanation that follows). .

Declarations. Some people play a version of High-Low that includes declaring whether they are trying for high, for low, or for both. After the final betting interval, but before the showdown, each player must declare what he is trying for. There are various methods of declaring, and the players should agree in advance which will be used. The most common method is that before any hands are shown, each player decides mentally what he is trying for. If the player decides upon low, he places one chip in his hand without letting the other players see it. He places two chips in his hand if he opts for high, and three chips if he is going for both high and low. When all players have "declared" (decided), they open their hands to reveal how many chips they are holding. If all players have decided the same way; the best hand in that category takes the whole pot.

When playing for both high and low, a player mentally selects two five-card hands from among the cards that he holds. (This is the one exception to discarding two cards in Seven-Card Stud prior to the showdown.) If a player claims both high and low, and is tied or beaten on either, he loses any title to the pot. If no one wins in full accordance with his declaration, all declarations are disregarded and the active players divide the pot equally.

Rank of Low Hands. Since straights and flushes do not count, the lowest hand, as in Lowball, is 5, 4, 3, 2, A. However, in some high-low games, the ace is always ranked highest, and flushes and straights do count and would interfere with the low hand. In such a case, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 would be the lowest possible hand as long as all five cards were not of the same suit. It is very important for players to agree on what the lowest hand will be in High-Low. It is strongly recommended to allow aces to be high or low and for flushes and straights not to count for low hand. Thus, the wheel or bicycle (5, 4, 3, 2, A) would be the lowest possible hand.

With wild cards in a high-low game, any wild card ranks as a "zero", and the lowest hand would be 4, 3, 2, A, "0" in a game where, if there had been no wild cards allowed, the wheel would ordinarily be the lowest hand. Again, it is necessary for players to agree on what the lowest hand will be before play begins. Many experienced players agree that wild cards are best suited for high-hand games only, rather than for games of Lowball or High-Low.

High-Low - Eight or Better. In this version, played in Poker parlors and some home games, a qualifier of eight or better is needed for a player to be in contention for the low half of the pot. That is, a player cannot declare for the low hand unless he has a hand no higher than 8, 7, 6, 5, 4.

Hold ‘Em

In recent years, this game has become very high popular in casinos that have Poker rooms. It is considered to require more skill than any other version of Poker.

Each player receives two cards face down, and five cards are dealt face down to the center of the table. After the first betting interval, three of the five center cards are turned face up in the center. Then there is a second betting interval, followed by one more center card being turned up. Then there is a third betting interval, and the last center card is turned up. Then there is a final betting round. The player must use his best five cards, taken from the two in his hand and the five turned up in the center of the table.

Omaha

This game is similar to Hold 'Em, and it is also very popular in American casinos with a Poker room. Each player receives two cards face down and five cards are dealt to the center of the table. There is a betting interval, and the center cards are turned up one by one, with a betting interval after each card is exposed. All players still in the game must make hands of five cards using two cards from their own hand plus three from the five cards in the center. Generally in High-Low Omaha, a qualifier of eight or better is needed for a hand to be in contention for the low half of the pot.

Bull

Each player receives three cards face down. He arranges them in any order desired, but may not thereafter change the order. There is a betting interval. Then each player receives four face-up cards, one at a time, with a betting interval after each. Next, each player turns up his first face-down card, followed by a betting interval, and then his second face-down card, followed by the final betting interval. The last card is then turned up for the showdown.

Other Poker Variants

Knock Poker

This game is for three to five players. Each player antes one chip, and the dealer gives each player five cards as in Draw Poker. The undealt cards are placed in the center to form the stock. The player to the dealer's left draws the top card and then discards one card face up, and thereafter each player in turn may draw the top card of the stock or the last previous discard, as in various games of Rummy.

Any player, after drawing and before discarding, may knock. He does so by knocking on the table and discarding. Then each other player has one turn to draw and discard until play comes back to the knocker, who does not have another turn. Each player, after drawing, may either drop out, immediately paying the knocker one chip, or he may stay in.

When the last player before the knocker has drawn and discarded, there is a showdown among all who have stayed in. If the knocker has the high hand, everyone who stayed in pays him two chips. If another player ties the knocker, they divide the winnings except for chips paid to the knocker by the players who dropped out. If the knocker does not have the high hand, he pays two chips to every player who stayed in, and the player with the high hand gets the antes.

Bonuses are popular but they need not be used unless the players agree. If there is a bonus, everyone pays it, even a player who has dropped: two chips for knocking and winning without drawing a card; four chips for winning with a royal flush; two chips for winning with any other straight flush; one chip for winning with four of a kind.

In a similar version, many people play so that anyone may knock whenever it is his turn. There is then a showdown without further drawing, and the high hand wins the pot, which consists only of the antes. In another version, each player must put another chip in the pot every time he draws a card.

Whiskey Poker

After an ante from all players, the dealer gives five cards, face down, to each player and puts an extra hand ("widow") of five cards in the middle of the table. He must deal to each player in turn around to the left, one card at a time, then to the widow, then to himself last. Each player has the option of exchanging his hand for the widow, or keeping his hand as it is. If a player takes up the widow, his original five cards are placed face up on the table and become the new widow. Each player in turn has the option of taking up one card or all of the new widow and replacing it with cards from his hand. If a player wishes to play the original hand, he signals by knocking on the table, but he may not draw and knock at the same time.

The process of exchanging cards continues around the table until some player knocks. A knock means that this player will show the present hand as soon as it is his turn, so that each player has only one more chance to exchange cards. No player may draw if he has knocked. A player may knock before the widow is exposed, if desired.

If no one takes the widow until it comes around to the dealer, the dealer must either take up the widow or turn it face up on the table. Even if the dealer knocks, and does not take up the widow, he must spread it on the table for each player to see and draw once more. A player may pass at any turn - that is, decline either to exchange or to knock; however, he may not pass at two turns in a row. Having passed on the previous round, he must either exchange or knock.

After the knock and the final round of draws, all hands are shown, and the highest takes the pot. The lowest pays a "forfeit," or penalty in an amount of chips agreed upon beforehand. Some players prefer to have a round of betting before the showdown.

Red and Black

Strictly speaking, this game is not a form of Poker, but it is often played for variety during some social Poker games. Each player in turn, beginning on the dealer's left, places any bet up to the limit, and names "red" or "black." The dealer gives the player five cards face up. If three or more are of the color named, the dealer pays the bet; if three or more are of the opposite color, the dealer collects the bet. If all five cards are of the same color, double the bet is paid or collected.

In one other game called Red and Black, the cards are dealt as in Draw Poker, but the object is to make up hands of high or low point values. The point values are: king, queen, jack and ten - 10 each; ace - 1; other cards - their pip value. All red cards are plus values, and all black cards are minus values. Thus the hand, K, J, 8, 7, 3 would count minus 12. The high count and the low count divide the pot.

Other Poker Session Games

Many games played at social Poker sessions are not in the Poker family. A familiar one is Red Dog (also called In-Between), which is explained in Chapter III - Casino Games. Also appearing in that chapter is a game from Asia called Pai-Gow Poker, which is actually in the Poker family, but is, strictly speaking, a casino game, with a format on the order of Black Jack and other casino card games. Thus, this new game serves well as a link between Poker and casino games.

The following laws define correct procedure and the resolution of irregularities in Poker.

No penalties are assessed or proposed for breaches of law. A penalty can punish the offender but cannot restore the rights of a player who may have been damaged. In some cases, the players in a game decide on certain penalties to discourage persistent offenders.

The laws have three main sections: General Laws, applying to all forms of Poker; Draw Poker Laws; and Stud Poker Laws.

 

This section covers the pack of cards, the rank of hands, the shuffle, cut, and deal; the betting; and the showdown.

Number of Players. Poker may be played by two to 10 players and each plays for himself. No two players may play in partnership, and there may be no agreement between two or more players to divide a pot.

Object of the Game. The object of Poker is to win the pot, either by having the best Poker hand (as explained below), or by making a bet that no other player can meet.

The Pack. The standard 52-card deck is used. It consists of four suits: spades ( ), hearts (), diamonds (), clubs (). In each suit there are 13 cards: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. One or more jokers may be added to the pack. Each joker is a wild card.

Wild Cards. A joker or any other card or class of cards may be designated as wild by any of the following methods. The method must be selected in advance by the players in the game.

1) The wild card may be designated by its holder to represent any other card that its holder does not have.

2) The joker (in this case called the bug) may be designated by its holder to represent a fifth ace or any card needed to complete a straight, a flush, or any special hand such as a dog, cat and so on.

3) Any wild card may represent any other card, whether or not the holder of the wild card also has the card designated. (This permits double- or even triple-ace-high flushes, and the like). A wild card, properly designated, ranks exactly the same as a natural card.

Rank of Cards. A (high) K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The Ace is low only in the sequence 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Optional: the ace may rank low in Low Poker (Lowball) or in High-Low Poker when, by agreement, the ace is designated as low.

In Low Poker, the ace is always low, so that two aces is a lower pair than two
2s (deuces).

In High-Low Poker, the holder must designate the relative rank of the ace at the time that he shows his hand in the showdown, for example, by saying "aces high" (in which case two aces beats two kings for high), or "aces low" (in which case, two aces beats two 2s for low but loses to two 2s for high).

In any pot to be won by the high hand, the ranking goes from ace down to two so that, for example, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 beats 7, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Seating. Players take seats at random unless any player requests before the game begins that the seats of the respective players be determined as provided in the next paragraph.

When any player requests a reseating, the banker has first choice of seats. The first dealer may either take the seat to left of the banker or participate with the other players in having his position determined by chance as follows: the dealer shuffles the pack, has the cards cut by the player on his right and deals one card, face up, to each player, beginning with the player to his left. The player dealt the highest-ranking card sits to the right of the banker, the player with the next-highest card at the right of that player, and so on. If two players are dealt cards of the same rank, the card dealt first ranks higher.

After the game begins, no player may request a reseating unless at least one hour has elapsed since the last reseating. A player entering the game after it begins must take any vacant seat. A player replacing another player must take the seat that player vacated. Two players may exchange seats after any showdown and before the next deal begins, provided no other player objects.

When there is no banker, the dealer has first choice of seats.

The Shuffle and Cut. Any player on request may shuffle the pack before the deal. The pack should be shuffled at least three times in all, by one or more players. The dealer has the right to shuffle last and should shuffle the pack at least once.

The dealer offers the shuffled pack to his right-hand opponent, who may cut it or not as he pleases. (When two packs are used, the dealer offers the pack to the left-hand opponent.) If this player does not cut, any other player may cut. If more than one player requests the right to cut, the one nearest the dealer's right cuts. Except in case of an irregularity that calls for a new cut, the pack is cut
only once.

The player who cuts divides the pack into two or three portions. No portion can contain fewer than five cards. He completes the cut by placing the packet that was originally on the bottom on top. (If a card is exposed during a cut, the pack must be shuffled by the dealer and cut again.)

The Deal. At the start of the game, any player shuffles the pack and deals the cards face up, one at a time to each player beginning with the player on his left, until a jack is turned up. The player to whom the jack is dealt is the first dealer. Thereafter, the turn to deal passes from each player to the player on his left. A player may not voluntarily pass his turn to deal.

The dealer distributes the cards from the top of the pack, one card at a time to each player beginning with the player on his left and ending with himself.

Rank of Hands. Poker hands rank, from highest to lowest:

Straight Flush. Five cards of the same suit in sequence. The highest straight flush is A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit, called a royal flush. The lowest straight flush is 5, 4, 3, 2, A of the same suit. When there are two straight flushes in the same game, the one headed by the highest card wins. When any card has been designated as wild, a straight flush loses to five of a kind, which is the highest possible hand.

Four of a Kind. Four cards of the same rank. This hand loses to a straight flush but beats any other Poker hand. If two players have four of a kind, the four higher-ranking cards win. When there are wild cards, it is possible for two players to hold four of a kind of the same rank. In this case, the winning hand is the one with the higher-ranking fifth card.

Full House. Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. When two hands each have a full house, the one with the higher-ranking three of a kind is the winner. When there are wild cards, two players may have full houses in which the three of a kind holdings are the same rank; the higher of the pairs then determines the winning hand.

Flush. Five cards of the same suit. If two players have a flush, the one containing the highest card wins. If the highest cards are of the same rank, the higher of the next-highest cards determines the winning hand, and so on; so that A, K, 4, 3, 2 beats A, Q, J, 10, 8 and J, 9, 8, 6, 4 beats J, 9, 8, 6, 3.

Straight. Five cards, in two or more suits, ranking consecutively as 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. The ace is high in the straight A, K, Q, J, 10 and low in the straight 5, 4, 3, 2, A. If there are two or more straights, the one containing the highest card wins, so that 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 beats 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

Three of a Kind. Three cards of the same rank. If there are two or more hands each containing three of a kind, the one with the higher-ranking three of a kind wins. When there are wild cards, there may be two hands containing identical threes of a kind. In that case, the highest-ranking unmatched card determines the winner. If these cards are of the same rank, the higher-ranking fifth card in each hand determines the winner.

Two Pairs. Two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, with an unmatched fifth card. If two or more hands each contain two pairs, the one with the highest pair wins. If the higher pairs are of the same rank, the one with the higher-ranking second pair wins. If these pairs are also of the same rank, the hand containing the higher of the unmatched cards is the winner.

One Pair. Two cards of the same rank, with three un-matched cards. If there are two or more one-pair hands, the one containing the higher pair wins. If two hands contain pairs of the same rank, the highest unmatched card determines the winner; if these are the same, the higher of the second-highest unmatched cards wins, and if these are the same, the higher of the lowest unmatched cards wins. For example, 8, 8, 9, 5, 3 beats 8, 8, 9, 5, 2.

No Pair. This loses to any hand having a pair or any higher-ranking combination. If there are two no-pair hands, the hand with the highest card wins; if these two cards are tied, the next-highest card decides, and so on, so that A, 8, 7, 4, 3 loses to A, 9, 7, 4, 3 but wins from A, 8, 7, 4, 2.

Two hands that are identical, card for card, are tied since the suits have no relative rank in Poker.

Betting. All the chips bet go into the center of the table to form a pot. The winner keeps the the pot.

The Ante. In many games, each player puts an equal amount of chips into the pot before any cards are dealt. This is called the ante. The amount of the ante is agreed upon before the game or is determined by the dealer.

Opening. After the deal, the beginning player announces whether he will pass, bet, or drop (throw in his cards). If a player drops, he loses any chips he has in the pot. If he passes and every player in turn, including the dealer, passes, there is a new deal by the next player on the left and the ante (if any) is repeated. If he bets, he is the first to bet, called "opening," and puts the number of chips he is betting into the pot. Next, each player in turn must either, check, call, raise or drop.

Sequence of Play. In each betting interval, the turn to bet begins with the player designated by the rules of the Poker version being played and moves to each active player on the left. No player may open, check, call, raise, or drop, except in his proper turn. A player may neither pass nor bet until the player on his right has put the correct number of chips into the pot or has dropped.

In Draw Poker, the first in turn before the draw is the player on the dealer's left. The first in turn after the draw is the player who made the first bet before the draw or, if he has dropped, the player on his left.

In Stud Poker, the first in each betting interval is the player whose exposed cards are higher than those of any other player. If two or more players have identical high holdings, the player on the dealer's left is first.

Check. Unless a bet has been made in that betting interval, an active player in turn may check, which means that he elects to remain an active player without betting. In some variations of Poker, checking is specifically prohibited.

If any player bets, each active player in turn after him (including players who checked originally) must either, call, raise, or drop.

Call. A call is a bet equal to the previous bet, that is, a matching number of chips. This amount must include any raises made during this betting interval. For example, a bet of five is "called" by the next player (also betting five); the next player "raises" two (betting seven). Any bet by the next player must be seven to call or more than seven to raise.

Raise. A raise is a bet greater than the previous bet.

Fold or Drop. A player in turn may drop even when he has the privilege of checking. Any time that a player discards his hand, or permits it to be mixed with any discard, he has dropped, and his hand may not be reclaimed.

The Showdown. When each player has either called the highest previous bet without raising or has dropped; or when every active player has checked; the full hand of every active player is placed face up on the table, and the highest-ranking hand wins the pot. If two or more hands tie for the highest rank, they divide the pot evenly, any odd chip going to the player who last bet or raised.
It is customary for a player to announce the value of his hand. When there are wild cards, he must announce the value of his hand and may then claim no higher hand. Whenever only one active player remains because all other players have dropped, the remaining player wins the pot without showing his hand, and there is a new deal by the next dealer in turn.

 

Irregularities. Redeal. Any player, unless he has intentionally seen the face of any card dealt to him face down, may call for a new shuffle, cut, and deal by the same dealer if, before the dealer begins dealing the second round of cards:

1) A card was exposed in cutting

2) The cut left fewer than five cards in either packet

3) Two or more cards are face up in the pack

4) The pack is incorrect or imperfect in any way

5) A player is dealing out of turn.

If a player is dealing out of turn, and a redeal is called, the deal reverts to the proper player in turn. In a game in which every player antes, no one need ante again. Any other bet is left in the pot. If no redeal or misdeal is called within a time limit provided, the deal stands, and the player on the left of the out-of-turn dealer will be the next dealer.

Misdeal. A misdeal due to the dealer's error loses the deal if attention is drawn to it by a player who has not intentionally seen any face-down card dealt to him. The deal passes to the next player in turn. The misdealer's ante is forfeited to the pot. If all players have anted equally, their antes remain in the pot and no one need ante again. A blind bet or raise may be withdrawn.

A misdeal may be called by any player who has not intentionally seen any face-down card dealt to him:

1) If before the dealer begins the second round of cards he notices that the pack was not shuffled or offered for cut

2) By any player who receives two face-up cards in Draw Poker or any other form of closed Poker, provided he calls a misdeal immediately and has not contributed to the error

3) If the dealer gives too many cards to more than one player.

If the dealer mistakenly stops dealing before giving every player enough cards, due solely to his omission to deal one or more rounds, it is not a misdeal and the dealer is required to complete the deal whenever the irregularity is discovered. For example, if the dealer stops dealing after giving each player only four cards; or if the dealer gives the first five of seven players five cards each and the sixth and seventh players only four cards each, it is not a misdeal.

If the dealer deals too many hands, he shall determine which hand is dead, and that hand is discarded; but if any player has looked at any face-down card in any hand, he must keep that hand.

If the dealer deals too few hands, he must give his hand to the first omitted player to his left. Any other player who has been omitted and who has anted may withdraw his ante.

Exposed Card. If the dealer exposes one or more cards from the undealt portion of the pack after the deal is completed, those cards are dead and are placed among the discards. There is no penalty against any player for exposing any part of his hand, and he has no redress. A player who interferes with the deal and causes the dealer to expose a card may not call a misdeal.

Incorrect Pack. If it is determined, at any time before the pot has been taken in, that the pack has too many cards, too few cards, or duplicate cards, the deal is void; and each player withdraws from the pot any chips he contributed to it, any other laws of the game to the contrary notwithstanding; but the results of pots previously taken in are not affected.

Imperfect Pack. If the pack contains any card that is torn, discolored, or otherwise marked so it can be identified from the back, the pack must be replaced before the deal in progress or any other deal can be completed; but the play of the hand in progress is not affected if the deal has been completed.

Incorrect Hand. A hand having more or less than the correct number of cards in the Poker variation being played is foul and cannot win the pot. If every other player has dropped, the pot remains and goes to the winner of the next pot. Players may agree that a hand with fewer cards is not foul, in which case its holder may compete for the pot with the best poker combination he can make.

Irregularities in Betting. Chips once put in the pot may not be withdrawn except by a player who, after he has anted, is dealt out; or in jackpots, when another player has opened without proper openers (see False Openers p. 86); in Draw Poker, by the players who opened or raised blind, in case of a misdeal; or in Stud Poker, when the dealer has failed to deal a player any card face down.

Installment or String Bets. A player's entire bet must be put in the pot at one time. Having put in some number of chips, he may not add to that number unless the original number was insufficient to call, in which case he may add exactly enough chips to call. If, however, he announced before putting in any chips that he was raising by a certain amount and puts in an amount insufficient for such a raise, he must on demand supply enough additional chips to equal the announced amount of his bet.

Insufficient Bet. When a player in turn puts into the pot a number of chips insufficient to call, he must either add enough chips to call and may not raise, or he must drop and forfeit his chips already in the pot. When a player raises by less than the minimum permitted, he is deemed to have called, and any additional chips he put into the pot are forfeited to it.

Bet Above Limit. If a player puts in the pot more chips than are permitted by the limit, it stands as a bet of the limit and additional chips are forfeited to the pot. An exception is made in table stakes when a player's bet exceeds the number of chips an opponent has. In that event, the player may withdraw the excess and either bet it in a side pot, or, if no other players are willing or able to meet that bet in the side pot, restore those chips to his stack.

Announcement in Turn of Intention to Pass or Bet. If a player in turn announces that he passes or drops, his announcement is binding whether or not he discards his hand. If a player in turn announces a bet but does not put any chips in the pot, he is bound by his announcement and must, if possible, supply additional chips necessary to bring the bet up to the announced amount.

Announcement Out of Turn of Intention to Pass or Bet. If a player out of turn announces his intention to pass or drop when his turn comes, and then, does not actually discard his hand, or to make a certain bet but does not actually put any chips in the pot, his announcement is void; and he may take any action he chooses when his turn comes. Any other player who acts in reliance upon the announcement does so at his own risk and has no redress.

Bet Out of Turn. If a player puts any chips in the pot out of turn, they remain there, and the play reverts to the player whose turn it was. If any player to the offender's left puts chips in the pot, he has bet out of turn and is equally an offender. When the offender's turn comes, if the chips he put in were insufficient to call, the player may add enough chips to call. If the amount was exactly sufficient to call, he is deemed to have called. If the amount was more than enough to call, the player is deemed to have raised by the amount of the excess but cannot add chips to increase the amount of his raise. If no player before him has bet, he is deemed to have bet the number of chips he put in and any amount above the agreed limit is forfeited to the pot. If the chips he put in were insufficient to call, he may forfeit these chips and drop. However, the player may never add chips to raise or to increase his raise.

Pass Out of Turn. The pass (act of dropping) out of turn is among the most damaging of Poker improprieties, but there is no penalty except by prior agreement of the players. In any case, the offender's hand is dead and he cannot win the pot.

Irregularities in the Showdown. If a player in the showdown announces a hand he does not actually hold, the announcement is void if the error is discovered before the pot has been taken in by any player (including the player who miscalled his hand). "The cards speak for themselves."

Designation of Wild Cards. If, in the showdown, a player orally designates the suit or rank of a wild card in his hand, or implies such designation by announcing a certain hand, he may not change that designation (for example, an announcement of joker J, 10, 9, 8 as "jack-high straight" fixes the joker as a seven). A player may always show his hand without announcement and need not designate the value of a wild card unless another active player requests that he do so.

Concession of a Pot. A player who has discarded his hand after another player's announcement of a higher hand may not later claim the pot - even if the announcement was incorrect.

Laws of Draw Poker

The Draw. After each player has exactly called the highest previous bet without raising or has dropped, the first betting interval ends. The dealer picks up the undealt portion of the pack, and each active player beginning on his left may, in turn, discard one or more cards. Then, the dealer gives him that number of cards, face down, from the top of the pack. A player need not draw unless he so chooses.

If the dealer is an active player, he must announce how many cards, if any, he is drawing. At any time following the draw and before the first player in turn bets or checks in the final betting interval, any active player may ask any other active player how many cards he drew. The latter player must answer, but the questioner has no redress if the answer is incorrect. It is considered unethical, however, to give an incorrect answer intentionally.

The dealer may not deal the bottom card of the pack. If the pack exclusive of this card does not suffice for the draw, the dealer assembles all cards previously discarded, plus the bottom card of the original pack, shuffles these cards, and offers them for a cut. Then, he continues dealing. The cut is described in "The Shuffle and Cut" on p. ••, except that only an active player may cut. The opener's discards and the discards of any player yet to draw are excluded from the reassembled pack if they have been kept separate and can be identified.

 

Irregularities. Wrong number of cards. If the dealer gives a player more or fewer cards than he asks for, the error must be corrected if the player calls attention to it before he has looked at any of the cards. Unless a card has been served to the next active player in turn, the dealer must correct the error by supplying the missing cards or restoring the excess to the top of the pack, as the case may be. If the next player has been served, the player with the incorrect hand may discard the surplus cards. If he has already discarded and the draw is insufficient to restore his hand to five cards, his hand is foul. If the player has looked at any card of the draw and the entire draw would give him an incorrect number of cards, his hand is foul.

Card exposed. If any card is exposed in the draw, whether or not it was faced in the pack, the player must accept the first such card, but any additional exposed card is dead and is placed among the discards. After the dealer has served all other active players, he deals any additional cards due from the
top of the pack.

Draw out of turn. If a player allows a player on his left to draw out of turn, he must play without drawing, or drop. If he has already discarded any card, his hand is foul.

A player may correct a slip of the tongue in stating the number of cards he wishes to draw, but only if the dealer has not yet given the player the number of cards he first requested.

If a player discards a number of cards that would make his hand incorrect after the dealer gives him as many cards as he asked for, his hand is fouled.

Showing openers. The player who opens must prove that he held a legal hand of five cards including the strength (if any) required to open. If the player is in the showdown, he must show his entire hand face up. In any other case, before discarding his entire hand, he must show his openers face up and his remaining cards, if any, face down.

Splitting openers. The player who opened may split his openers (discard
one or more cards essential to them) and need not announce that he is doing so. He may put his discard in the pot, face down, for reference later. For example, having opened with Q, Q, J, 10, 9, he may discard the Q and draw one card.

False openers. If it is determined at any time that a player opened without proper openers, or that his hand contains too many cards, the player's hand is foul, and all chips he has bet are forfeited to the pot.

If false openers are discovered before the draw, any other player in turn to the offender's left (excluding those who passed in their first turns) may open, and play continues; but any player except the offender may withdraw from the pot any chips he put in after the pot was falsely opened. If no one can open, the rest of the pot remains for the next deal.

If false openers are discovered after every player but the offender has dropped, the other players may withdraw from the pot any chips they put in after the pot was falsely opened.

If false openers are discovered after the draw, and if any player remains active, play continues; and the pot goes to the highest hand at the showdown, whether or not any player had openers. (If there is no hand at the showdown that is not foul, the pot remains and goes to the winner of the next pot. Regardless of other circumstances, a hand that has dropped can never
win a pot.)

Laws of Stud Poker

Betting in Stud Poker. In each betting interval the player with the highest exposed combination has the right to bet first. In most games in the first interval, this player must bet at least the minimum established for the game. In any subsequent betting interval, the player may check.

If, in any betting interval, every active player checks, the interval ends. Another round of cards is dealt, or there is a showdown, as the case may be. If one player bets in any round, each active player after him must at least call the highest previous bet or drop.

At the start of each betting interval the dealer must announce which player bets first and identify the highest exposed holding, for example, "Pair of eights bets" or "First ace bets." The dealer should also announce, after the third and fourth face-up cards are dealt, any player's combination that, when combined with his hole card, may make a one-card draw to a flush or straight announced by saying "Possible flush" or "Possible straight."

Incomplete hands. For the purpose of establishing the first bettor in any interval, exposed cards rank from highest to lowest as follows:

Four of a kind: between two such hands, the four higher-ranking cards are high.

Three of a kind: if there are two such hands, the higher-ranking three of a kind is high.

Two pair: when two such combinations are showing, the highest pair determines the high hand, and if the highest pairs are the same, the higher of the two lower pairs.

One pair: between two such hands, the higher pair is high. If two hands have the identical pair, the highest unmatched card determines the high hand, and if these are identical, the higher of the two other cards.

The highest card: if two players tie for highest card, the next-highest card in their respective hands determines the high hand, and so on.

If there are two holdings that are identical card for card, the one nearest the dealer's left is high for purposes of betting but has no superiority over the other holding in the showdown.

Flush and straight combinations of four or fewer cards rank no higher, for determining the first bettor, than any other holdings including no pair except when a fourflush (four cards of the same suit) is played to beat a pair; in that case a fourflush showing bets ahead of a pair.

If, through the dealer's or his own error, all a player's cards are exposed, all are taken into consideration for establishing the first bettor. If, at the start of the final betting interval, that player has a straight, flush, full house, or straight flush showing, his hand outranks any combination of exposed cards that it would beat in a showdown.

 

Irregularities. At any time before the dealer begins dealing the second round of cards, a player who has not looked at a card dealt face down to him may call for a new shuffle, cut, and deal if the player notices that:

1) The pack was not shuffled or cut

2) A card was exposed in cutting, or the cut left fewer than five cards in
either packet

3) Two or more cards are face up in the pack

4) The pack is incorrect or imperfect in any way

5) A player is dealing out of turn.

When there is a redeal, the same dealer deals again unless he was dealing out of turn, in which case the deal reverts to the proper player.

If the dealer deals too many hands, he shall determine which hand is dead and that hand is discarded. However, if a player has looked at the hole card of any hand, he must keep that hand.

If the dealer deals too few hands, he must give his own hand to the first omitted player to his left.

If the dealer gives a player two face-down cards instead of one during the first round of dealing, he turns up one of the cards and then omits that player on the second round of dealing (unless the rules of the game require two hole cards, as in Seven-Card Stud). The player who received the two cards may not look at them and then turn one of them up.

If the dealer gives a player more than two cards on the first deal, that player may require a redeal before the second round begins. If the error is not noted until later, his hand is dead.

If, in dealing any round of face-up cards, the dealer omits a player, he moves the cards one place backwards, so as to give each player the face-up card he would have had if no error had been made. However, if the error is not noticed before the first bet is made, the hand of the player who was omitted is dead.

Exposed card. If the dealer gives any player a hole card face up, the player must keep that card and receive his next card face down. The player has no redress, except to receive his next card face down, unless the dealer repeatedly fails to correct the error until the player has four cards. At that point, if the dealer has never given him a face-down card, the player may drop out and withdraw all his chips from the pot. If the player stays for his fifth card, and the fifth card is dealt face up, the player may withdraw his chips from the pot or may remain in the game and play with an exposed hand.

Dead cards. A card found face up in the pack during a round of dealing must be dealt to the appropriate player. If a card at the top of the pack is exposed during a betting interval, either because it is face up in the pack or prematurely dealt, it is discarded. In dealing the next round of face-up cards, the dealer skips the player who would have received that card and deals in rotation, ending with the player who would have received the exposed card. In each subsequent round, the dealer deals in the normal rotation.

Impossible call. If the last player to speak in the final betting interval calls a bet when his five cards, (whatever his hole card may be) cannot possibly beat the four showing cards of the player whose bet he calls, the call is void and the chips may be retracted, provided that a player calls attention to the error before the hole card of any other active player is shown.

Error in Valuing the Hand. If the dealer errs in calling the value of a hand
or in designating the high hand, no player has any redress. If the player incorrectly designated makes the first bet, it is not a bet out of turn.

Hole Card Irregularity. The dealer does not have the option of dealing a player's first card up and his second card down intentionally. A player may not turn up his hole card and receive his next card face down. If he turns up his hole card, he must play the round with his cards exposed.