Online Poker

Players are dealt five cards and draw single blind cards from the deck in clockwise order until one player believes they have the best poker hand at the table and knocks.

Description

Players ante once, as there will be no betting rounds. Ante is typically a larger sum of money for this reason. Five cards are dealt face-down to each player. The remainder of the deck is placed in the center of the table. The dealer flips the top card from the deck face-up directly beside the deck. The player to the dealer's left has the option of picking up the face-up card or a blind card from the top of the deck. As players can never have more than five cards, that player must discard one of the six cards now in his or her hand. The player places this discard face-up where the initial face-up card is/was, as Gin Rummy is played.

The next player has the same option of a blind card from the deck or the top card on the discard 'pile' next to the deck. This carries on around the table non-stop, with each player discarding one card from their hand, so that each player only has five cards.

The goal is to put together the best possible five-card poker hand. When one player feels that their hand is the best poker hand at the table, that player knocks on his or her turn, in place of drawing and discarding. Once a player knocks, each other player is allowed one more draw, after which all players expose their hands. Best poker hand wins the pot.

Variations

- A Guts theme can be added to this game. After each player is dealt their initial five cards, in clockwise order, each player declares "in" or "out". Those players who are in take part in the regular course of the game. The one among them who wins collects the pot, while the others who called in must match the pot. The game is then re-dealt. It would also be at the dealer's discretion to include a kitty in such a game, dealt face-down from the start and flipped over on the showdown.