Rules

  • This game is played with 2 to 5 players.
  • 3 blinds - small, big, and over when more than 3 players (2-3 players reverts to just small and big blinds).
  • When exchanging cards, the first player after the dealer starts (as in 5 card draw), but on the second round, action starts after the overblind (not after the dealer). In a heads-up situation (only 2 players) the action starts with the small blind.
  • Player can discard a maximum of 4 cards.
  • The time limit for raise is 10 seconds, after which you can only check, call, or fold.
  • Stripped deck: cards of rank 2-6 are removed, regardless of how many players are in the game.
  • Aces can play high or low, so you could have a straight of A-7-8-9-10 or 10-J-Q-K-A.
  • The Parole feature allows players to split the pot (2nd betting round only).
  • Ties can be broken by suit.
  • Hand rankings are different in 32-Card Draw Poker.

Hand Rankings

Hands have the following ranks:

  • Straight Flush - Straight with all five cards of the same suit (9D, 10D, JD, QD, KD);
  • Four of a Kind - Four cards of the same rank (10C, 10D, 10H, 10S);
  • Flush - Five cards of the same suit. When more than one player has flush, the one with the highest card wins (8C, 10C , JC, KC, AC);
  • Full House - Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. When more than one player has full house, the one with the highest ranking group of three wins (10D, 10H, 10S, JD, JS);
  • Straight - Five cards in sequence. When more than one player has straight, the one with the highest card wins. An ace can be taken as either high or low (but not both high and low in the same hand). (8S, 9D, 10D, JH , QC);
  • Three of a Kind - Three cards of the same rank (AH, AD, AC);
  • Two Pairs - Two cards of the rank and two cards of another rank (JH, JC, AH, AD);
  • One Pair - Two cards of the same rank (JH, JC);
  • Nothing (Highest Card) - When players have none of the above, the hand with the highest card wins (7H, 9S, 10C, JC, KD).

Hand rankings are different than 52 card poker because the stripped deck makes certain combinations of cards more likely. In particular, the rankings for flushes and full houses are reversed from standard poker. In addition, in the cases where hands are exactly equal, the hand will be decided by suit. Flushes, straights, straight flushes and nothings are determined by the suit of the highest card. Pairs and two pairs are decided by the suit of the highest kicker. The kicker is the leftover card that isn't part of a pair. For example, if two players both got two Kings and 2 Jacks, the suit, not the rank, of the 5th card would be used to determine the winner. Full houses, three of kind and four of a kind can never be tied by rank, so they are never decided by suit.

Suit rankings from highest to lowest:

  • Hearts
  • Diamonds
  • Clubs
  • Spades

Game Types

Limit Poker

In Limit poker a maximum of 4 bets is allowed during any betting round. This includes a bet, raise, re-raise, and final raise, but in No Limit poker and Pot Limit poker there is no limit to the number of raises that a player can make. In Limit poker Bet as well as Raise is agreed in advance. For example, in the 1/2 Limit game without Over Blind for 2-3 players, both Bet and Raise must be equal to 1. In the last round Bet and Raise must be equal to 2. For example, in the 1/2 Limit game with Over Blind for 4-5 players, both Bet and Raise must be equal to 2. In the last round Bet and Raise must be equal to 4.


Pot Limit

In a play with Pot Limit the maximum value of Bet or Raise shouldn't exceed the current total amount in the pot. For example: if the total amount in the pot in the middle of the table is 10 the first player to act in the betting round bets 10, the second player could bet a total of 30 - 10 for his portion of the call and raise by 20, the total amount of money in the pot when the action got to him, including his call. There is no cap to the number of raises in Pot-Limit poker games. Minimum bet is equal to Big Blind for the game with 2-3 players and Over Blind for the game with 4-5 players.


No Limit

In No Limit game there is any bet limit. Every player makes any bet in any betting round. Minimum bet is equal to Big Blind for 2-3 players and Over Blind for 4-5 players. For example, in the 1/2 No-Limit game without Over Blind for 2-3 players, Bet must be equal to 2. For example, in the 1/2 No-Limit game with Over Blind for 4-5 players, both Bet and Raise must be equal to 4.

First Round

At the start of each hand, a small disk known as the dealer button is placed in front of one of the players. This disk indicates the theoretical dealer of each hand and marks the individual who will act last in each of the betting rounds. After each hand, the button moves clockwise one spot to the next player.

Blinds

The blinds are posted. If there are two or three players, the player to the left of the dealer posts the small blind, equal to half of the table's lower limit stake. The next player to the left posts the big blind, twice the small blind. If there's more than 3 players, the next player to the left posts the over blind, equal to twice the amount of the big blind (i.e., the same as the upper table limit).

  • Blinds: 3
  • Small Blind: 6
  • Over Blind: 12

Missed Blinds Policy

To prevent players from entering games in a late position to avoid placing blinds, you will have to post an initial fee, equal to the over blind, or you can sit out and wait until the over blind reaches your position. If you checked Wait For Big Blind when you took your seat, then you will appear to be sitting out and won't be able to join the action until the over blind comes around to your position.

If you were at the table and then sat out for a while, if you missed the small blind in your absence, you will have to post an amount equivalent to the big blind. If you missed the small and big blind, you will be required to post an amount equal to the big blind plus a 'dead' bet equal to the small blind, which goes straight into the pot and doesn't count as a player's bet for that hand. If you miss all three blinds while sitting out, you have to post the equivalent of the over blind, plus a dead bet equal to the small blind plus the big blind.

The Deal

All players are dealt 5 cards face down. There are no community cards in this game.

Betting

The first player to the left of the over blind (or the big blind if there was no over blind) starts the betting, which then continues in a clockwise fashion. All players must at least match the amount in of the over blind in order to remain in the hand.

You will see the following options, depending on what the players before you have done:

  • Fold: Leave the game, forfeiting anything you put in the pot in the form of blinds or bets.
  • Check: You can check if no one else has put in more money than you. If you posted the over blind (or big blind if there was no over blind) then everyone else has to put in enough money to match your contribution. If someone has raised, you won't have the option to check.
  • Call: This brings the amount of your bet up to the level of the highest bet so far. For example, if you put in the big blind of 4.00, and someone else put in the over blind of 8.00, when the action comes around to you, you can call by putting in another 4.00 to match the largest bet so far of 8.00. If you didn't put in a blind at all, you would have to add the entire 8.00.
  • Raise: The minimum allowed bet size in No Limit is equal to the big blind if no action has occurred in this betting round. If action has occurred (someone else has bet) then it is equal to the size of the last bet/raise. The raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets 10 then the second player must raise a minimum of 10 (total bet of 20). As the term No Limit suggests, the maximum eligible raise is all the chips you've brought to the table (i.e., you can go all-in). Then all players must match this new amount or fold.

If someone else raises, then you can't check, but have to fold (leave this hand), call (match the amount of the largest bet), or raise (add more to the bet, which everyone else must match).

There is no limit to the number of raises in 32 card draw poker.

Discard Round

Once the first betting round is complete, you can discard up to 4 cards and draw new ones, or you can "stand pat" and keep the cards you were originally dealt. Discarding starts with the player to the left of the dealer. Click on a card you wish to discard and it will be raised up and have a red X through it. Click it again to keep it. When the action comes around you to, the active button will say Discard X (however many cards you clicked on) or Stand Pat if you didn't click on any cards. Discarded cards are replaced immediately with new cards from the deck.

In stripped deck games there is the possibility of running out of cards. In the case that more cards are required than are left in the deck, the remaining cards in the deck are used first. Then all cards discarded by other players (other than the player getting the cards) are shuffled and the player is dealt their remaining cards from this set of cards. In this way a player will never get their own discards back, only those of other players.

Second Betting Round

Betting starts with the first player still left in the game to the left of the over blind. This person has the option of Parole (in English, "give way"). If everyone at the table agrees by clicking Parole, the pot is split. If the first player doesn't select Parole, then players can fold, check and raise as normal.

In Limit game the minimum bet is equal to 2*over blind (or 2*big blind if there is no over blind).

In No Limit game the minimum bet is equal to over blind (or big blind if there is no over blind).

Showdown

When all bets get equal, it is time to show the cards. The last player to bet or raise during the final betting round shows his cards first. If during the last betting round all the remaining players are checking (nobody betting), the first player to the left from dealer who did not discard is to show his cards first. The other players reveal their cards moving clockwise around the table. If player's current hand is weaker than winning hand shown, he has the option to show or muck his cards. The best five-card hand takes the pot. If two players share an identical hand, the pot is split. Each player may claim the pot in forming of which he took part. Please see All-In.