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Poker Home Games: Let’s Share

June 22, 2008

Poker Home Game: Let’s Share

All right, it’s been a few weeks since I had a new poker game to share, but this week I have a quick but fun little one for your enjoyment. This one serves as a great break-up between texas hold-em tournaments, or just another one to add to the cash game rotation.

1) Everyone puts in their ante, and each player receives 3 cards dealt face down.

2) Players look at their cards, and there’s a round of betting.

3) Remaining players then select one card from their hand (of their choice, of course) and place it face up on the table. All players do this at the same time so their selection does not influence other players.

4) Round of betting

5) A second card from each player who has not folded is placed face up in the same manner as the first.

6) Third round of betting

7) All players still in the pot show their final card.

8) Fourth and final round of betting

The best hand is selected using ALL 3 of the player’s own cards plus any other 2 cards showing on the table, including cards revealed by players who may have folded in betting rounds 2 and 3. So if you’ve folded anywhere along the way, the revealed portion of your hand is still “live”…a very unique characteristic to this game.

I absolutely love the strategy and bluffing of this one along the way, and the extremely unique feature of you knowing what potentially will be your opponents cards before they do, makes for a unique situation along the way….Think you’re sitting pretty with a pair of aces? The pair of aces will be available to everyone else who stays in for the long haul.

Written by J.P. Michael · Filed Under Poker Home Games 

Poker Home Games: Lowball Stud

May 25, 2008

Poker Home Games: Lowball stud

 

I continued my recent them of getting back into the poker scene this weekend, finding some time on a Friday night to join in a small, but fun 4-person night of poker.  And to an extent, I feel re-energized about the game as a whole.  It’s easy to become disillusioned with cards as a serious but somewhat casual player, either when you lose or you’ve just been playing for so long it feels like you’re just going through the motions.

 

However, I find myself staring at an upswing in interest and enthusiasm toward poker, and with a few new games up my sleeve, what better time than describe the one that helped me win 2 out of 3 “tournament” format gaming sessions.

 

1.)    Base poker game for this one is seven-card stud. 

 

2.)    Your lowest hidden card is wild.  If that card is a 3, all 3’s in your hand (hidden or open) are wild – just for you.  Everyone will have their own wild card exclusive to their hand.

 

3.)    Betting happens the same as seven-card stud.

 

4.)    When it comes time for the river, you have the option of “buying” to have your card face up, or you can take it face down for free.

 

5.)    Final round of betting, winner takes all

  

Fairly simple rules, but plenty of strategy along the way.  The most obvious strategy is whether to take your last card up or down.  On the surface, it’s a straightforward decision that would seemingly only make a difference as to what your hand ends up as…the main effect being taking the card face up to avoid undercutting a pair of already-established wild cards.

 

For example, if your two hidden cards are 3, 3, or one is a 5 and you have a five face up in your hand, these are both scenarios where you’d probably pay to have the card face-up, so as no to run the risk of your river card face-down being a 2.  The result of which would be dropping your # of wild cards from multiples down to 1, and thus certainly handicapping your hand.

 

Part of the strategy, however, is keeping the power of your hand as well hidden as possible.  Of course, that’s the goal in every poker hand, but in lowball stud you actually have the power to do something about it.  So sometimes there’s the question of a calculated gamble – taking your last card down even though there’s a slight chance you may be undercut – to throw your opponents off the scent that you already have two established wild cards, either hidden or matched somewhere in your open hand.

 

I like this game because it brings in the element of wild cards without going overboard, and without too much craziness or other rules.  The wild card won’t chance unless you run the risk (but again, you’re the one making the decision there).  There are no extra cards to come into play, and there are no match the pot predicaments.  So it keeps close to what pure poker is all about…although purists will always scoff at wild cards, I find them fun, and in the setting of a home poker game, more than appropriate.

Written by J.P. Michael · Filed Under Poker Home Games 

Poker Home Games: Boardwalk

May 18, 2008

Here’s a new game I learned over a recent weekend.  Actually, I learned it from one of our summer interns at work.

I call it “The Boardwalk”, although he called it “Sideways Pyramid”, which I don’t particularly care for, because as you’ll see, the design of the cards doesn’t truly represent a pyramid.  It’s more of an Mayan temple…which makes me think of Apocalypto and people getting their hearts ripped out. 
  
So….we’ll stick with “Boardwalk.” 
  
The game is high-low, somewhat similar in principle to games like “Criss Cross.”  
  
1)  An ante is made
  
2) Every player is dealt two hole cards.  You are allowed to look at them.  Keep them hidden.
  
3.) Before any community cards are turned over, there is a round of betting.
  
4.) Nine cards are dealt out in the center of the table in three rows of three, one on top of the other.  These cards are all dealt at the same time and turned face-up at the same time.
  
5.) Second round of betting
  
6.)  For the turn, two cards (one on top of the other) are dealt to the right of the nine cards (that more or less form a square themselves).
  
7.) Third round of betting
  
8.) The River is dealt face-up to the right of the two turn cards.
  
9.) Final round of betting.
  
At this point, your table will look something like this, with the X’s representing face-up cards.
  
X X X
            X
X X X      X
            X
X X X
  
10.) Declare high or low (however you want, hidden coin, call out, etc…) and reveal
  
Things to note:
  
- BOTH hole cards in your hand must be used.
- You can “walk” any of the four possible “boards” in front of you (Get it?  Yeah it sucks, but it’s still better than sideways pyramid.)
- You can walk a different board for your high and low hand, this is allowed.
  
Option 1 - You can take the top row of 3 cards, the top turn and river
Option 2 - You can take the middle row of 3 cards, the top turn and river
Option 3 - You can take the middle row of 3 cards, the bottom turn and river
Option 4 - You can take the bottom row of 3 cards, the bottom turn and river
  
Best 5-card poker hand wins.
  
So, like I said, a slight variation to criss-cross…I suppose you could play high only, or introduce baseball or other wild-card game rules into this just as easy, as well.

Written by J.P. Michael · Filed Under Poker Home Games 

Poker Home Games: 31

May 4, 2008

I learned this game when I was in junior high.  Seventh-grade, I think.  The guy who taught it to me was only doing it so he could take my money.  I remember the scene vividly. 

    It was toward the end of lunch, the 10 minutes after everyone finished eating but before the call to go outside for recess.  Everyone was loaded with quarters because our new cafeteria had vending machines - a first for us.  The particularly popular one dispensed multiple varieties of Campbell’s soup.  Don’t ask me why that one was a favorite over the candy machine, but it was. 
    So my “friend’ teaches me the game, I lose a hand here or there, and then quickly pick it up.  It’s not that difficult, but I’ve also been playing cards for a few years even at that point.
    Long story short, by the time the call came for recess, I was up $4.75, and my friend, defeated but accepting, said, “You’re gonna be my secret weapon to take money off everyone else.”
    It never actually panned out that way, but he never ended a session with me up money, either.
    31 isn’t really a poker game, not in the true sense of the word.  But it borrows a couple poker themes and there’s an exchange of money, so….close enough, right?     
    On to the rules.  Each hand is very quick, but you can play this an unlimited amount of times.  Another very unique thing about this is it works best when there’s only 2 people involved, in my opinion.  I’ve tried it with 3, and even at that number it doesn’t capture the true spirit of the back and forth of the game.
1.) Each player is dealt 3 cards, hidden.  You can look at them.  The object of the game is to get as close to 31 of the same suit as you can before your opponent does.  Face cards are worth 10, Aces is always 11.
2.) Like in gin rummy, a top card is turned over from the deck, and the non-dealer (you’ll switch off), has the option of taking that card, or offering it to the dealer. 
3.) If the dealer declines, the non-dealer then draws a new card from the top of the deck.  The player then can choose to keep this card and discard another from his hand, or simply discard the one he took from the deck.
4.) Whichever card was discarded is available to the other player, he then is afforded the same choice between that card and the deck.
5.) The game goes back and forth (there is no betting), until someone KNOCKS.  When this happens, the opponent gets 1 more turn, and then the cards are turned over. 
6.) The difference in points between the two is then translated into whatever monetary denomination you’re playing for.  So if the person who knocked has 29, and the other person ends up with 25, and you’re playing a quarter a point, then player 2 would owe player 1 a dollar.
7.) Rinse and repeat.
STRATEGY:  The game is deceptively straightforward…and there’s not an incredible amount of critical thinking or decision making outside of choosing the best time to KNOCK without getting greedy.  For example, if you have 21 or more on the first hand, you might want to try your luck and knock right away…you might only win by 5 or 6 points, but the odds are in your favor.
The only other time strategy comes into play is if you know your opponent is going for a certain suit, say clubs.  Now if a 10 of clubs comes up and it’s your turn, but you’re not going for clubs, do you take it just to hurt your opponent?  Do you switch what suit you were going for as a result?  If you hesitate too long on your choice, your opponent might catch wind of what you’re doing, and knock early, guessing you’ve split your suits and are vulnerable.
It’s a fun, quick game, and the money adds up.  Highly recommended if you’re stuck with 2 people waiting for the rest of the group to show up, or at the end of the night if only two are left awake.

Written by J.P. Michael · Filed Under Poker Home Games 

Poker Home Games: Suit Poker

April 21, 2008

Suit Poker

I know there are plenty of purists out there who just flat out hate wild card games.  Of course, I can understand this in a casino setting, but when it comes to the home game, I’m pretty much open to anything.  I love learning new games, and the crazier they are, the better.  (Unless I’m drunk, in which case the easier they are to learn and remember, the better.)

I remember having so much fun as a kid when I first learned about Aces, Deuces, One-Eyed Faces….and Suicidal Kings being wild. 

What’s the deal with those kings, anyway?  You’re the frickin’ king….you get to sleep with the Queens and….uh….sevens.  What’s there to be suicidal over?

Anyway….

So, here’s a simple, fun, wild-card stuffed version of any poker game that exists.  Whether it’s five-card draw, five-card stud, seven-card stud or something else, you can add in these wilds and some spice to your game (and likely some more money to the pot.)

So what’s the wild?  Whatever suit you choose.

1.) Let’s set the example for this walkthrough as a game of five-card draw.  Basic rules remain unchanged.  This one actually gets extremely crazy because all of the cards are hidden…and the ONLY indicator you have of what your opponents might be holding is by how many cards they choose to draw.  (And a word of advice, if you don’t choose anything, you better be holding a royal flush or better, or you’re done, son.)

2.)  Well, there’s really not much need for a #2.  Whatever single suit you choose in your hand to be wild, is wild.  You don’t have to call it before hand (although that could make for a good alternative to this — each person writes down on a hidden sheet of paper what suit he wants to be wild, and THEN the cards are dealt).

3.)  My house rules are a royal flush beats five of a kind.  Four of a kind, straight flush, five of a kind, royal flush.  That’s what I prefer…but I know house rules nationwide tend to lean toward five of a kind being the king of hands.  I don’t really get this because technically the odds are still probably in favor of you pulling 5 of a kind rather than a royal flush…but I’m just guessing, I could be wrong.  In any event, I always recommend you decide this before you start playing so there’s no confusion if the situation does come up.

Enjoy….go WILD!

Written by J.P. Michael · Filed Under Poker Home Games 

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