There are three primary ways to play video poker online, depending primarily on in which state you live, but also based on the type of video poker games you are looking to play.
Whether you are an expert at traditional poker or just interested in learning the game, there are tons of options available online. Free video poker games give you the chance to play the game without depositing a cent, so you can enjoy a fun hobby without worrying about deposits and withdrawals. It also has the advantage of letting you play from home, rather than traveling to a casino that might be miles away from you.
Play video-poker Play keno VideoKeno.com Play contests Find in casinos Player challenges My Player Page Players Club Player directory Mobile apps View top scores Video poker for Android Video poker for iPhone / iPad. The game is an optional feature to 3-play, 5-play, and 10-play video poker. If the player declines the Ultimate X option, the game will play like conventional multi-play video poker. If the player makes a max coin bet of 10 coins per line, then he will activate the Ultimate X feature.
- Play free video poker online – Available in all states
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- Play video poker for real money – Available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia
Jacks or better video poker is one particular game, but other games involve Jokers (as wild cards). So, there are also games like Jokers Wild Video Poker on offer in most casinos too. In other games, there are wild cards other than jokers. For example, deuces wild video poker is really popular in the casinos. In this game, all the 2s are wild.
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The basic idea behind this kind of video poker is to acquire a five-card poker hand with a winning combination. The lowest winning combination is a pair of Jacks. Other combinations that can win a hand include the following: Two Pair – Two card pairs that have the same number or symbol; Three of a Kind – Three cards with the same symbol. The Good old Poker they. Played in the Wild Wild West. Basic Five Card Draw Poker. Game for beginners. Classic Video Poker. Classic game of Five Card. Caribbean Poker. Poker at a 5 star Caribbean. Got a Full House, Queens.
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Online Video Poker At Sweepstakes Casino Sites (Best Option For Most States)
Available in: All states except Washington state.
If you don’t happen to live in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, or West Virginia your best bet is a sweepstakes online casino where you can play online video poker for cash prizes.
How Sweepstakes Casinos Work
Online sweepstakes video poker is an alternative for those who aren’t in areas where real money poker is legal. These sites take old laws about sweepstakes and use them as a way to offer legal options for those who want to play poker recreationally.
Sweepstakes casinos use digital coins instead of real money as currency. Players accumulate digital coins by winning games and can later exchange them for cash prizes. Because sweepstakes casinos are not legally classified as gambling, they are popular among players who live in states that have not yet legalized real money online gambling. The sweepstakes format provides a similar, but legal alternative to the online casino experience.
In order to participate in a sweepstakes casino’s games, you must first buy their coins (or whatever they label as their sweepstakes currency). Your purchased coins typically come with a set number of free sweeps coins. You cannot directly deposit money into an account or withdraw money.
Your purchased coins are valid only for recreational gaming at the sweepstakes casino. Your free sweeps coins can be played on sweepstakes games, and your winnings can then be exchanged for real prizes.
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New players can take advantage of their no deposit bonus of 2,000,000 gold coins and two sweep coins. Additionally, the casino offers a first purchase deal of $30 gold coin package for only $10.
Chumba Casino is a great option as it offers both slots and table games. Its variety is what makes it a unique sweepstakes casino.
Playing Free Video Poker At Legal Online Casinos
When you want to play video poker for free at a legal online casino, you have a variety of options. There are tons of variations of poker, and you can find almost all of them in an online version so you can play from home. With the advent of free poker games, anyone who is over 21-years-old and in the United States can enjoy a game of poker whenever they feel like it.
Do Legal Online Casinos Offer Free Video Poker Games?
As more states legalize online casinos, having access to online video poker is becoming easier than ever. While most of these casinos offer real money games, there are also demo and practice modes where you can play without spending a single dime. Everyone can play free online slots, even those in states where online gambling is not yet legal.
The best option for choosing a reputable site for video poker is by looking at large brands you have heard of in the past. The websites that operate in partnership with physical casinos are an excellent place to start since they need to adhere to specific rules and regulations.
Do I Need An Account To Play Free Video Poker Games Online?
It depends on where you want to play. In some cases, you can play by just navigating to the site and clicking on a game. However, there are other instances where you must register to access the catalog of games at a poker site. If you prefer a quick and easy poker game, you’ll want to look for sites without registration.
Keep in mind that sites with registration may offer perks to those who become members, which can make signing up feel like less effort. When it comes to real money video poker sites, you must sign up to be a member just to play the practice games. If your privacy is important to you, you may have to use other websites for your video poker.
Is There Any Way To Win Real Money Playing Free Video Poker?
In most cases, the sites that have free video poker do not offer cash payments. Instead, you will typically be racking up virtual currency that cannot be turned into money. Free games are usually used by players who just want to have a good time or who want to practice outside of paid games to become better at a particular type of poker.
However, there are some exceptions in terms of free sites that offer real money. Most of them are going to be found in sweepstakes video poker sites, which we’ll look at in more depth below.
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Playing Las Vegas-Style Video Poker Online For Free
If you’re searching for legal online casinos in Pennsylvania and New Jersey that have Vegas-style video poker, you have plenty of options. Both of the states have a wide variety of casinos that offer video poker and many of the games are based on Vegas poker options. Three of our options for playing video poker online in these states are listed below for your convenience.
BetRivers Casino is partnered with the land-based Rivers Pittsburgh Casino and offers a selection of video poker options. Users can log in to play practice games or deposit money to play for cash if they are located in Pennsylvania. In addition to providing video poker, this casino also has hundreds of slot games, as well as table games like roulette, blackjack, and baccarat.
Hollywood Casino is another online legal casino in Pennsylvania that provides the option to play poker. This was the first online casino to launch in the state and it partnered with IGT to power the gaming options on the website and apps. This casino also offers dozens of slot games, roulette games, blackjack, baccarat, and more.
Those who are looking for New Jersey video poker will find it in various locations, including BetMGM. There are many variations of poker at this provider, including Regal Jacks or Better, Triple Play Draw Multi-Hand Poker, Bonus Poker, Texas Hold’em, and more. It also offers a variety of slot games and table games that you can peruse.
Playing Video Poker For Real Money Online
For those who want to spend money playing poker, there are several options available. However, this is only the case in states where you can legally gamble online. If you are not in one of those locations, real money gambling on video poker is not allowed. While more states are slowly allowing online real money poker, it’s a good idea to know what the rules are for your specific location.
States With Legal Online Video Poker
Before we delve into other specifics, knowing where online video poker is legal is essential. It might be surprising to learn that some states allow online poker but don’t allow online table games and slots, while others go in the opposite direction. Since it can be confusing to determine what states allow legal online video poker, we have provided a list of legal states below:
- Delaware
If you don’t see your state listed above, playing video poker for real money is not allowed in your state. There are two alternatives available to you if you want to enjoy video poker. The first is to choose a free online site that has poker available and the second is to use a sweepstakes gaming site like Chumba Casino.
How Many Different Video Poker Games Are Available?
Counting up all the different video poker games would leave you with a number that might be mind-boggling. Many types of poker have been introduced in an online version that you can play on your own without other players. In fact, if it’s available in a land-based casino, you can likely find it in a video poker option.
However, different websites and apps are going to have different games, so finding one that has your favorite type might take time if it’s a lesser-known variation. Those who are fans of games like Jacks or Better, on the other hand, will find this kind of poker on nearly any site that includes poker.
What Are The Smallest Stakes You Can Play Online?
This is another question that will depend on the provider you use for your video poker. However, what you should know is that video poker typically requires bets that are much smaller than traditional poker in a physical casino. While some of these poker games have high payouts, they don’t always require you to empty your wallet to try to win.
Because these games have lower stakes than a typical poker table, they make an excellent option for those who are just learning to play. They also feature the opportunity to get better for those with some level of experience without spending too much. Once someone is happy with the progress that they’ve made with video poker, they can try live games or traditional poker with more confidence in their performance.
Fundamentals Of Video Poker Strategy
Just like other forms of poker, video poker has many different strategies that players employ to ensure they win more from their hands. Different people enjoy different techniques, so there are many to choose from. Having a basic strategy you can use will help you do better at video poker, whether you are just beginning with the game or have been at it for many years.
Video Poker Strategy Basics
While games like slots rely only on luck, poker is a casino staple where the players have a lot of impact on how the game ends. Since you have more choices in terms of what cards you keep, which you discard, and what hand you play at the end, you can learn to play a hand that is the most beneficial and likely to result in a big payoff. However, a lot of players continue to rely only on play streaks or hunches to decide how to play a game.
The strategies that can help you win are based on math, which is excellent for anyone who has excelled at this subject in the past. Some approaches focus on getting royal flushes as often as possible, which is the best hand you can have in most poker games. Others are going to have a focus on winning every hand, even if it’s by a small amount through a hand that has less optimal cards.
Video Poker Strategy Charts
Those who are interested in serious strategy in video poker may choose to use a video poker strategy chart to do so. These charts will show that cards you can have to get the most significant return on the match. Below the best return, it will show the next best and continue in this way until you should discard an entire hand rather than saving any of it.
For example, when playing Jacks or Better, the chart would show a royal flush on top, followed by a straight flush, four cards of a royal flush, a full house, and so on. If you’re looking to improve your ability to play poker, taking a look at strategy charts can put you on top of your game.
Video Poker: The Five Minute Guide
No matter what kind of poker you like, you’ll find it in an online video poker version. This kind of poker involves one player against a computer dealer, rather than having several players at a table who are competing against each other. While the most common poker variations are Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild, you can also find a selection of different games to play.
Basic Rules Of Video Poker
Since there are dozens of video poker variations, going through the rules of each one would require a long article all of its own. However, since Jacks or Better is one of the most popular options, we’ll use that as an example to explain the rules of video poker.
The basic idea behind this kind of video poker is to acquire a five-card poker hand with a winning combination. The lowest winning combination is a pair of Jacks. Other combinations that can win a hand include the following:
- Two Pair – Two card pairs that have the same number or symbol
- Three of a Kind – Three cards with the same symbol or number
- Straight – Five cards that make up a sequential order of numbers
- Flush – Five cards that have the same suit
- Full House – A pair along with a three of a kind
- Four of a Kind – Four cards with the same symbol or number
- Straight Flush – Five cards of the same suit that are in sequential order
The Royal Flush is the best hand you can get and consists of cards of the same suit that go from 10 to Ace. The idea behind the game is to get the best hand possible to earn the most points. You are dealt cards and choose which to discard before being dealt more to make up your final hand.
Common Video Poker Variations
We already mentioned that Deuces Wild and Jacks or Better are two variations of video poker, but there are dozens of others. Aces and Eights is another version where you get additional coins or money for having Aces or Eights in your hands. Double Bonus is a video poker game where you get massive bonuses for four of a kind hands. Some of the other games you will commonly see include:
- Bonus Deuces Wild
- Deuces and Joker
- Double Double Bonus
- Jokers Wild
- Tens or Better
The House Edge In Video Poker
One of the reasons that so many people enjoy video poker is because the house typically has an exceedingly small edge. While a slot machine might return only 70 to 90 percent of what you spend on it, video poker at an online casino is more likely to offer a return of 95 to 99 percent. This means that playing video poker is going to be better for your wallet than many other online casino games.
However, keep in mind that different casinos have different odds and may have a unique house edge. This is also an excellent reason to choose a reputable site or app that lets you know what you’re getting into when you sit down to play a game.
Free Video Poker Online Play FAQ
Yes. Some websites that offer free video poker will allow you to play without making an account. However, other websites and apps may require you to register before you take part in games. In most cases, if you do register, you will get some kind of reward for doing so. If you prefer to play without registration, make sure that’s an option at the site you are visiting first.
Yes. With sweepstakes video poker sites, you can often win real money or other premium prizes even though you are playing for free. At websites like Chumba Casino, you can earn coins that may be turned into real money for playing particular games, taking advantage of promotions, or making deposits to play additional games.
Yes. One of the best ways to get better at video poker is by playing free games. You can enjoy learning all the best strategies without worrying that you’re going to break the bank. Since these games are often the same as real money poker, you can take the knowledge you gain and use it to win cash once you’re happy with how you are playing.
No. Most of the free video poker games online do not require a flash player, although there are some exceptions. If you aren’t interested in a flash player, you will have no issues finding games that don’t require it. However, having one available may make your options more robust if you want to play a specific game or use a particular website.
Draw poker is any poker variant in which each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and then develops the hand for later rounds by replacing, or 'drawing', cards.[1]
The descriptions below assume the reader is familiar with the general game play of poker, and with hand values (both high and low variations). They also make no assumptions about what betting structure is used. In home games, it is typical to use an ante, and betting always begins with the player to the dealer's left. In casino play, it is more common to use blinds; the first betting round thus begins with the player to the left of the big blind, and subsequent rounds begin with the player to the dealer's left, thus draw games are very positional.
Some sample deals below will assume that a game is being played by four players: Alice, who is dealing in the examples, Bob, who is sitting to her left, Carol to his left, and David to Carol's left.
Standard five-card draw[edit]
This is often the first poker variant learned by most players, and is very common in home games although it is now quite rare in casino and tournament play. Two to eight players can play.[2]
Other draw games[edit]
Gardena jackpots ('Jacks to open' or simply 'Jackpots')[edit]
Played as above, with standard hand values, and with a single joker in the deck acting as a bug. It is always played with an ante and no blinds. On the first betting round, no player is allowed to open the betting unless their hand already contains a pair of jacks or a better hand. Other players who checked on the first round may subsequently call or raise if someone else opens. If no player opens, a new deal begins and everyone antes again into the same pot. The player who opened the betting keeps their discarded cards near them on the table so that they can prove, if necessary, that they had a sufficient opening hand. For example, a player with the K, J, 9, and 7 of clubs and the J of hearts has a pair of jacks and may open. They may wish to 'break openers' in this case by discarding the jack of hearts in an attempt to make the club flush, so they keep the discarded jack to prove that they were entitled to open.
In addition to the opening requirement, no one is allowed to win a pot with less than three of a kind. In the event no one makes the winning requirement, the pot is moved on to the next hand. The strongest possible hand in this game is five aces which is achieved if the player obtains the four aces plus the joker (joker counts as an ace if there's neither a straight nor a flush to complete).
This can result in some enormous pots, and is where the term 'Jackpot' comes from.
The game is named after the city of Gardena, California, where this game was especially popular from the 1930s to 1970s (though it was always secondary to lowball). At that time, there were more public poker tables in that small city than in all the rest of the United States. Public poker rooms are still a big industry there, though Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other locations now have many more poker rooms than they did at that time. Because 'Jacks to open' was the primary form of high-hand draw poker played there, traditional draw poker was often described by the retronym 'Guts to open'.
In home games, it is common that when a deal is 'passed out' (that is, when no one opens), the players re-ante, and the qualifier to open is raised to a pair of queens. If that deal is passed out, the qualifier is raised to kings, and finally to aces. This is called 'progressive' jackpots.
California lowball[edit]
This was the primary poker game played in California during the heyday of Gardena in the 1970s.[3] It is still played today, though its popularity has somewhat lessened since the introduction of stud poker and community card poker to the state.
Played as above, using ace-to-five low hand values, with a single joker in the deck. Always played with blinds rather than antes, so players may not check on the first betting round (but may on the second round). A player with a 7-high hand or better who checks after the draw forfeits his right to win any money placed in the pot after the draw. (In other words, a 'seven' may not be checked unless the player intends to fold when another player bets). Another common rule in low-limit games is that a player who checks on the second betting round may not subsequently raise on that round. This latter rule is never used in games with a pot limit or no limit betting structure.
Kansas City lowball[edit]
Five-card draw, with no joker, and deuce-to-seven low hand values is called 'Kansas City' or 'Low Poker' or even 'Billy Baxter' draw in honor of the player who dominated the world championship in the event for many years. Often the game is played no-limit. The 7-high rule and the no check-and-raise rule do not apply. In the eastern United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, ace-to-six low hand values are common.
Double-draw and Triple-draw[edit]
Any game above can be played with two or three draw phases and therefore three or four betting rounds. Triple draw lowball, either ace-to-five or deuce-to-seven, has gained some popularity among serious players. The 2004 World Series of Poker included a deuce-to-seven triple-draw lowball event, and each WSOP from 2007 on has featured one event as well. The Poker Player's Championship, which was introduced in 2010 as the replacement for the $50,000 buy-in HORSE tournament that had been in every WSOP since 2006, includes 2–7 triple-draw lowball as one of its rotating games.
Badugi[edit]
Sometimes spelled as Padooki or Badougi, Badugi is a four-card ace-to-five low lowball variant where traditional poker hand rankings are changed. A Badugi is a four-card hand where all the cards are of different ranks and suits. Any card which match another card in rank or suit does not play and the first criterion for evaluating hands is the number of cards which are playing. The following is the ranking of several example of hands from best to worst:
- Ace of spades, 2 of clubs, 3 of hearts, 4 of diamonds: 4-card 4-high best possible Badugi
- 4 of spades, 6 of hearts, 8 of diamonds, J of clubs: 4-card J-high Badugi
- Ten of clubs, J of hearts, Q of diamonds, K of spades: 4-card worst possible Badugi
- Ace of hearts, Ace of diamonds, 4 of clubs, 5 of spades: 3-card hand, 5-high
- Ace of clubs, Ace of spades, 4 of spades, 6 of spades: 2-card hand, 4-high
- Four kings: 1-card hand, worst possible hand
Badugi is usually played triple-draw, with a 1-1-2-2 betting structure, although it is sometimes played in pot limit or 1/2 pot limit structures.
Baduci[edit]
Not to be confused with Badugi, Baduci is a lowball hybrid of Badugi and deuce-to-seven triple draw low. This game has a split pot, one half for the strongest Badugi hand and the other half for the best deuce-to-seven triple draw hand. Players are essentially trying to form two different sets of hands by using five cards with a goal of winning both halves of the pot in the same hand.
California high/low split[edit]
Played as above, with a single joker, used as a bug. High hand and low hand (using the ace-to-five low values) split the pot. An 8-high or better low is required to win low. If no hand qualifies for low, the high hand takes the whole pot. Played cards speak, that is, players do not declare whether they intend to win the high or low half of the pot (or both); they simply show their cards and the best hands win. Because ace-to-five low values are used, a hand such as a low straight or flush can win both high and low, called 'scooping' or 'hogging' the pot.
High/low with declare[edit]
This is common in home games but is rarely found in casinos today. Played as are other versions of five-card draw, but after the second betting round and before the showdown, there is a simultaneous declaration phase. Each player takes two chips from his stack and takes them under the table, bringing up a closed fist that contains either no chips (indicating that the player intends to win the low half of the pot), one chip (indicating that the player intends to win the high half), or two chips (indicating that he intends to scoop). When everyone has brought up the closed fist, the players all open their hands simultaneously to reveal their choices. If any player shows two chips, and his hand is the best low and the best high, he scoops the pot. Otherwise, half of the pot goes to the player with the highest hand who declared high, and the other half to the player with the lowest hand of those who declared low. There is no qualifying hand to win either high or low, and if no one declares in one direction, the full pot is awarded in the other (for example, if all players declare low, the low hand wins the whole pot rather than half). A player who declares for a scoop must win both ends outright, with no ties. For example, if a player declares scoop, has the lowest hand clearly but ties for high, he wins nothing. The other player with the same high hand wins the high half of the pot and the next-lowest hand wins low (assuming he declared low—if no other player declared low, the high hand who declared high wins the whole pot).
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This game can be played with deuce-to-seven low or ace-to-six low hand values, but in that case it is nearly impossible to scoop (though the whole pot could still be won if everyone declares the same direction).
Four-before[edit]
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Another variation that can be applied to any game above, but that is especially suited to lowball. On the initial deal, only four cards are dealt to each player. A betting round follows, then each player draws one more card than he discards, completing his hand to five cards. Then the final betting round and showdown. Note that it is impossible to be dealt a 'pat' hand, that is, a hand (such as a straight or flush) that is complete before the draw.
Johnson (and 'Jacks back')[edit]
Played with one joker which acts as a bug. Must be played with antes and no blinds. Each player is dealt five cards. The first betting round begins with the player to the dealer's left, who may check or open with anything. If any player opens, the game continues as traditional five-card draw poker. If the first round is passed out (that is, no one opens), then the player to the dealer's left may now open if he chooses, but the game has switched to California lowball. On the rare occasion that the deal is passed out yet again, players re-ante and deal again. This game plays well head-up (that is, with only two players). When the game is played that a pair of jacks or better is required to open on the first high-hand round, the game is called 'Jacks back'.[citation needed]
Q-Ball[edit]
This is a lowball game designed by Michael Wiesenberg that combines some of the variations mentioned above. It is generally played with three blinds—one unit from the dealer, one unit to his left, and two units for the second player to the dealer's left. The deck contains one joker. Each player is dealt three cards, followed by a round of betting beginning with the player immediately after the big blind who may call the big blind, raise, or fold (there is no checking on the first round). Next, each player is dealt a fourth card, followed by a second round of betting starting with the still-active player to the dealer's left. No checking is allowed on this round either, despite the fact that there is no bet facing the first player; the first player must open or fold. Each player is then dealt a fifth card, followed by a third betting round beginning on the dealer's left. At this point, checking is allowed. Finally, each player draws as in normal draw poker, followed by a fourth betting round and showdown. Ace-to-five low values are used.
Played at fixed limit, it is recommended that the betting structure be 1-2-2-4; that is, the second and third betting rounds should allow a bet of twice the amount of the first round, and the final bet should allow four times the amount of the first round.
'Home' games[edit]
These are somewhat less-serious games that are typically played only in home games at small stakes. This does not necessarily mean that there is less opportunity for skillful play, just that the games are seen as more social than competitive.
To help grow the betting pot in a home game, one can add a variant known as the 'kill card' to the rules. Kill cards work best with stud games or shared card games as no one player can control when the 'kill card' is played.
Shotgun ('Roll 'em out' and 'Skinny Minnie')[edit]
This is a draw game that plays much like a stud game. First five cards are dealt to each player, followed by a betting round, and a draw. Now, in place of a second round and showdown, there is a rollout phase, which begins with the players arranging their five cards in any chosen order, placing them face down in front of themselves. Each player's top card is now revealed, followed by a betting round. Then each player reveals his next card, followed by a betting round. Then a third card is revealed, followed by a betting round, a fourth card, a betting round, and finally a showdown. Players may not change the order of their cards at any time during the rollout phase.
This game can be played for high or low, but plays best at high-low split, in which case it is called 'Skinny Minnie'.
Spit in the ocean[edit]
This might be classified as a hybrid draw/Community card game, but it is placed here because it plays mostly as a draw game. On the initial deal, each player is dealt four cards, and then a single card is dealt to the center of the table face up. This card plays as if it were the fifth card in every player's hand. It is also a wild card, and every other card of its rank is also wild. The first betting round is then played, followed by a draw in which each player replaces cards from his hand with an equal number, so that each player still has only four cards in hand. A final betting round is followed by a showdown. High-hand values are used. (An alternative is to deal similar to a regular draw poker hand, during which any player can shout 'Spit!', whereupon the next card is dealt face up, after which dealing resumes until all players have five cards. In some variants, only the 'spit' card can be used as a wild card.)
Here's a sample deal: Alice deals four cards to each player, then deals the next card face up to the center of the table. it is the 6 of diamonds, and this makes all 6-spot cards wild. Bob opens for $1, Carol raises to $2, David folds, Alice and Bob call. Bob discards two cards, and receives two replacements. Carol draws one card, and Alice draws one. Bob checks, Carol bets $2, Alice raises to $4, Bob folds, Carol reraises to $6, and Alice calls. The cards in Carol's hand are Q-Q-6-4. Because the 6 in her hand and the one on the board are wild, her hand is four queens. Alice's hand contains K-J-9-7, all spades. With the shared wild card, this gives her a flush, which loses to Carol's four queens.
The game is mentioned in the Ray Stevens song 'Shriner's Convention'.
Anaconda ('Pass the trash')[edit]
Seven cards are dealt to each player. Before the first betting round, each player examines his hand, and removes exactly three cards from his hand and places them on the table to his left. After each person has thus discarded, he picks up the cards discarded by his right-hand neighbor and places them in his hand (thus, each player will have given three cards to his left-hand neighbor). It is important that each player discard before looking at the cards he is to receive. After the first pass, there is a betting round. Then a second pass occurs, each player passing two cards to his right. A second betting round is followed by a third pass, each player passing one card to his left. Finally, a third betting round and a showdown, in which the player with the best five-card high hand he can make out of the seven in his hand wins the pot.
In some casual games, the showdown is replaced by a rollout phase, as described above in 'Shotgun'. This makes a total of eight betting rounds in the game, which generally destroys any chance for skillful play in the later rounds.
Ad hoc variants[edit]
Any of the above games can be modified in many ways upon player whim, by designating additional wild cards, betting rounds, more or fewer cards, altered hand values, and any other change agreed upon by all players prior to each deal. Such a game can be announced by using the name of an existing game and specifying the variations, for example 'Three-card Triple-draw California lowball, Kings wild'. Many times this will result in a game that does not play well, but occasionally will produce a game that is well-suited to a particular group of players.
Here are some general guidelines:
- If designating some normal suited cards as wild, it is advisable to choose cards that would otherwise be bad for the game being played. For example, deuces wild for high-hand games, kings wild for lowball, 9-spots wild for high-low split (where an 8-high or lower is necessary to win low).
- High-low split games play best with more than four players.
- When playing high-low split, it is necessary to have either a declaration phase or a qualifier (but not both). The most common form is 8-high or better to qualify low, but also common is any pair/no pair (that is, a pair or better is required to win high, and no pair or better low is required to win low), and 9-high for low.
- Designating more than four wild cards (or possibly six) will result in considerable confusion and many ties.
- Two to five betting rounds makes a good game. One round or more than five rounds reduces the amount of skill involved.
- Sometimes there is no betting round before the draw; players pick up their cards, discard and draw, and then the betting starts.
- Giving each player more than eight or nine cards can often make a bad game. In Anaconda, each player will have seen up to thirteen cards.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Cardoza, Avery (8 December 2011). Basics of Winning Poker. Cardoza Publishing. p. 19. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^Brown, Aaron (26 August 2011). The Poker Face of Wall Street. New York City: John Wiley & Sons. p. 39. ISBN9781118161104. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^Waldie, D. J. (2017-03-15). 'Draw, Stud, and Hold'em: A Brief History of Poker in L.A.'KCET. Retrieved 2020-05-06.