lake@alberta.UUCP (Robert Lake) (06/25/84)
Thanks to the numerous people who responded to my query about high/low
poker variations. Below is a summary of the variations people sent along
with the ones I play:
1. 7 card high/low stud
Deal 2 down, 4 up, and the last one down. Betting occurs for each round
after the 3rd card is dealt. In addition to 7-card hi/low, try 6-card
(first and last cards down), and 5-card. 5-card hi/low is a very tough
fast moving game.
1a. 7 card Mexican stud
Each player gets all of his cards dealt face down and after the first 3 are
dealt, flips up the 1 he wants exposed and so on until they have 4 cards up,
three in their hand.
1b. 7 card stud with buying twist
Similar to 7 card high/low stud, except after last round of betting, a person
has the option of shucking one of their cards and buying (usually for a blue
chip) a card from the deck.
1c. 7 card stud with low card in the hole wild
Can be quite nasty if the lowest card in the hole is the last one dealt.
1d. Black Moriah (or Chicago)
This is a variant of seven card stud in which the player holding the highest
spade in his down cards splits the pot with the player with the highest poker
hand. A slight variation is to get dealt the first three cards face down and
you get to decide which one you show up. This game can be modified for any
suit, or lowest spade, or...
1e. English stud.
This is like regular 7 card hi-lo except you never see more than 5 cards at
once. To make this work you must play a wheel as a perfect low so that small
straights and flushes ( and straight flushes of course) can swing both ways
and rake in the whole pot.
Each player is dealt two cards down and one up as in regular hi-lo. There is
a round of betting and then all still in receive two more cards up in rota-
tion. This little change tends to make everyone, especially fools stay in
for the first 5 cards. After everyone has 5 cards you are allowed to replace
one card from your hand in rotation. Down is down and up is up. You do not
have to replace (the first nice place to bluff when you have three spades
showing or and A,2,3), but if you don't replace on the first round you can-
not replace on the second. As you guessed you get to replace another card
(for a total of 7 cards seen). There is a round of betting after each re-
placement then a declaration and one more round of betting.
1f. High-low Playback
All standard poker rules apply. Games is played in two stages. The first
stage is standard 7-card stud (two down, four up, one down) with normal
betting. After this, player pick up all seven cards, decide whether they
want to go high or low, or drop, and discard two cards, leaving them with
five. These five cards are rolled one at a time, with betting after each
card is shown (hence "Playback"). At the end of the game, the player with
the highest standard poker hand and the player with the lowest hand split
the pot.
2. 5 card draw/peel (Canadian draw)
This is a five card draw- rollem game which also requires that a wheel is
low so you can swing both ways. This is a very nasty game because a pair
of aces with a 2,3,4 or some such can bluff all the lows out of the game and
turn around and take high. Very nice to appear to have the lock on low and
beat the highs.
Deal 5-card draw. Everybody who doesn't fold during the first two rounds
stacks their cards into whatever order they prefer, then rolls them one by
one, with a betting round each time, declaration after 4 cards, and then one
more round. Lots of action.
2a. Make your own hole card
5 card hi-lo. All cards are dealt down, two at first. Each player chooses
which card is to be turned up, then everyone turns them simultaneously. The
hole card is wild, and others like it in the hand. Option: after all 5 cards
are out, players can buy a replacement for any card (including down).
2b.
Basically 5-card stud, except that as each card is being dealt, you have the
option of taking it up, or turning your current hole card face up and taking
the new card as your new hole card
2c. 5 card draw, high spade splits
5 cards dealt face down to each player and 3 dealt face down in the middle
of the table. Jacks or better to open with high hand and high spade splitting
the pot. Instead of a draw, all players use the 3 cards in the middle which
are turned up all at once after someone has opened. Person who opened can
then bet or check.
2d. 5 card draw, high hand, high spade split, pair of deuces wins all
The name says it all. You can also play without the pair of deuces winning,
hence usually two winners.
2e. 5-card lo.
This is not hi-lo, but it's neat. Five card stud, but low. Interesting
strategies.
2f. Draw poker with 2's, 3's 4's, 5's and 6's wild
For sheer variety, try this game. It's a better game than it sounds.
3. Cincinnati (or Up and Down the Okanagan)
Each player gets 5 cards down and there is 5 cards that are dealt in the
middle. Dealer turns up 1 of the middle cards at a time and the person on
the dealer's left bets first on the first card, next person on the second,
and so on until all 5 cards are exposed. After the final bet, players have
to declare which way they are going to play, high, low or both ways. The
players can use any 5 of the 10 cards for low and pick any other 5 for high
if they choose.
4. Twin beds.
Hi-lo. Deal 5 cards each, and four piles of two cards each in the center.
Each hand must use BOTH cards in one of the piles, i.e., only three cards
from the five in your hand. One card at a time is turned up from the center
8 (one from each pair first), betting after each new card.
5. Fiery Cross (Criss-Cross)
Each player is dealt 4 cards (face down), and 5 cards are arranged in the
center in the shape of a '+'. A round of betting occurs. Next, each of
the outer cards are turned up, and a round of betting takes place each
time. Finally, the center card is turned up, followed by the last round of
betting and the declaration. Declaration is based on three cards in one
of the directions of the cross, plus the four cards in your hand.
5a. Fiery Bingo
Fiery Bingo is similar except after the cards have been dealt, players have
the opportunity of discarding some (if not all) of their cards and buying
replacements from the deck. In a 5-10-25 game we have each card costing
25 cents, with a special deal of 4 for 50 cents. This process is repeated
immediately after the 4th outer card is turned over (but before the round
of betting!). Thus, this game usually results in lots of heavy betting on
almost no information. The name 'Bingo' comes from the 2nd round of buying
- many times I've seen players discard 4 cards and buy a winner.
6. Tic-Tac-Hold'em (described in "Gambling Times" about a year ago)
The purpose is to have the best high (or low or both) hand after "flopping"
9 cards in the center in a Tic-Tac-Toe arrangement. The order of the "flop"
cards is:
3 4 5
1 9 2
6 7 8
First, deal 2 cards face down to each player and "flop" 2 cards in the center
face up at positions 1 and 2. Betting. Second, "flop" 3 cards in the center
face up at positions 3, 4 and 5. Betting. Third, "flop" 3 cards in positions
6, 7, and 8. Betting. Finally, "flop" a single card into position 9.
Hands may be formed with the 2 down cards and 3 others from the center either
horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
To add a bit of flavor, when the 3, 4 and 5 cards are flopped, the dealer
announces "Tic". When the 6, 7 and 8 cards are flopped, the dealer announces
"Tac". When the 9 card is flopped, the dealer announces "Hold'em"!
7. Push
Basically like 5-stud high/low but for the way of "dealing". Everbody gets
one down. The next card on the deck is exposed and offered to the player at
the dealer left (assuming you deal & bet CW). That player can buy it (in our
game the cost to buy is equal to a medium sized bet) or pass it on to the
next person. Each person gets a chance to buy a card, when one is bought a
new one is exposed and offered if there are persons who have not been offered
a card to buy yet this round. After everyone has had a chance to buy, those
who didn't get one dealt from the deck.
Then there's a betting round. In subsequent dealing rounds, the first offer
goes to the person following the one who got the first offer in the previous
round. After the 4th buying & betting round, each player can "blow" a card
(up card or hole card) for a price equal to the maximum bet. The first
chance to do this goes to the player at dealer's left again, then in sequence.
Finally, bet, then simultaneous hi/lo declaration, then bet again.
We also play a high-only version of the same game, with the cost of the buys
increasing linearly every round.
7a. Penny to pass
7 card, hi-lo game. Similar to push, except 7 cards (2d,4u,1d), and you
must pay a penny to pass a card, and it must be the card just dealt.
Replacement cards are not dealt until the passing card stops, then new
cards fill in up to that point. No buying at the end.
8. Auction Poker
This is an engrossing game, but generally too slow for the taste of most
poker players. Play 5-card high/low stud with the following variations:
(1) After each round of dealing, and before the betting that follows it,
there is a round of auctions. Each player who is still in the hand
is given the opportunity to auction one card, starting with the highest
hand showing, and going in clockwise order.
(2) When it is a player's turn to auction, he may do one of these:
- decline to auction.
- offer one of his cards for auction, giving a minimum price
(all prices are in whatever currrency is being used for betting.)
- try to offer a card belonging to someone else for auction. If that
player refuses, the turn to auction passes to the next player.
(3) The offered card is auctioned to the highest bidder, who pays off and
collects his card at once. If there are no takers for the minimum price,
there is no auction.
(4) A player may never have more than 5 cards. If he has 5 cards when there
is an auction for another's card, he cannot bid for it. If he has 5 cards
when there is a round of dealing, no card is dealt to him.
(5) The group must adopt a rule about talking during the hand.
(6) A holecard may be offered for auction. If so, it remains facedown at all
times, and is only seen by the current owner of the card at any time.
Options:
- Allow any talking.
- Allow no talking except to bet.
- Allow no talking, except to bet, and to say what a hole-card that
is up for auction is. The owner need not tell the truth when
describing a hole card.
The final showdown is the round of betting at which all but one player drops
out, or the round where all remaining players have 5 cards.
9. High hand, low spade
This is a quick game, with each player dealt three cards, one at a time.
Betting is as follows (assume a nickel-dime-quarter game):
Ante - quarter. After first card is dealt the player to dealer's left bets
a quarter (mandatory amount). Others see or raise...no checking! After
second card, player two seats to the dealer's left bets fifty (again,
mandatory). Others see, raise, or drop. After third card, as expected,
player three seats to the dealer's left bets seventy-five (mandatory).
Others call or raise or drop. The player with the highest hand (typically,
a pair is unbeatable) and the player with the low spade (or any other suit)
split the pot.
10. Baseball
3's and 9's are wild. Whenever you are dealt a 3 face up, you must either
fold, or double the pot at once. If a 4 is dealt to you face up, you imme-
diately receive another card face down. If you have a 4 in the hole, you
can face it up to receive another downcard (you can't do this with the last
downcard). Baseball can be combined with anaconda or 7-card stud. Combined
with anaconda, you get the unusual effect that the hands are not completely
determined in the initial deal. Play anaconda, but deal an extra facedown
card for each 4 that comes up.
11. Itzy Bitzy
Each player is dealt two cards, one up and one down. Bet. Next, for as many
rounds as you want (two is usually sufficient), a player may replace a card
with another one from the deck (up cards remain up). Each replacement round
is followed by a round of betting. High/low.
12. Under 10
Deal 4 cards to each player and place 5 cards face down in the center. Bet.
Turn a center card face up. All players containing cards matching the
denomination (not suit) of the exposed card must drop their cards. Bet
again. Continue in this manner until the last card has been exposed.
Whoever has the highest sum (2-10 = face value, JQK=10 points, A=1 or 11
points) takes high, and the person with the lowest sum (provided it is
under 10) takes low. A person matching all 4 cards takes the entire pot.
13. 7-27
Deal two cards to each player, one up and one down. 2-10=face value,
JQK=1/2 point each, A=1 or 11 points. Object of game is to get as close
to 7 or 27 as possible (you are allowed to be over). Bet. Dealer asks
all players remaining if they wish to take another card (which must be
dealt face up). Bet again. Continue in this manner until all players
have either folded, or refuse a card. Bet one last time and then declare.
Can be an expensive game due to early locks and many rounds of betting.
13a. Mexican 7-27
All cards are dealt face down and players get to choose which cards to
expose. Good bluffing game.
13b. 7-27 with 1-eye Jacks = -Ace
Even worse than 7-27. Fortunes can be won or lost (usually lost) with
this game.
There you have it. Thanks to the following who replied to my query:
alberta!markj oddjob!matt tektronix!rogerc@orca
emory!kim mhuxj!presley tellab1!rcl
eosp1!ergonom stolaf!kragness ucbvax!wildbill
hw3b!rrc t4test!chip
I'll be keeping a list of variations, so if you come across any more
please let me know.
Robert Lake (alberta!lake)
University of Alberta