Shared-Card Variations

In these types of poker, players are dealt a small amount of cards individually, and then cards are placed in the center of the table that are common to all players.

• Bush League

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Omaha Hold'Em except that the shared cards are dealt in a cross formation.

  • Play:

    Shared cards are exposed one-at-a-time with betting prior to each exposure and after the last exposure. As in Baseball, 3's and 9's are wild. A four exposed gets everyone an extra card. Players may be required to pay the minimum bet for each exposed wild card.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Church (aka Iron Cross)

  • Players:

    3-9

  • Initial deal:

    five cards down to each player, five cards down to the table arranged in a cross.

  • Play:

    As in Cincinatti, with the table cards revealed clockwise with the center card last. Players may only use cards from one arm of the cross to form their hands.

  • Winner:

    High hand

  • Standard variations:

    High/low Center card is wild.

• Cincinnati

  • Players:

    3-9

  • Initial deal:

    five cards down to each player, five cards down to the table.

  • Play:

    One of the table cards is flipped up, followed by a round of betting. Repeat until all five cards have been flipped (players keep their own cards face down). A showdown follows the last round of betting, with each player making the best hand possible using their own cards and the five on the table.

  • Winner:

    High hand

  • Standard variations:

    High/low.
    Whoever has the highest card of the same suit as a specified table card (usually the 3rd or 5th) gets half the pot. If you use the 3rd card, expect someone to raise the maximum every time during the last 3 betting rounds.

• Cool Hand Luke

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that the lowest shared card is wild for all players.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Crazy Pineapple

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player instead of 2.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player each player must discard one card after the flop.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Crazy Pineapple

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player instead of 2.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player each player must discard one card after the flop.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Dianna's Game

  • Players:

    3-11

  • Initial deal:

    2 cards down to each player, Three cards down to the table.

  • Play:

    Cards are flipped from the table one at a time with a betting round after the deal and after each flip. The last table card flipped is wild along with all cards in play that match it in rank.

  • Winner:

    High hand.

• Elevator

  • Players:

    4-11

  • Initial deal:

    four cards to each player and seven down on the table, arranged in two columns of three (the shafts) with one in between (the elevator).

  • Play:

    Table cards are turned up one at a time, followed by betting rounds. The player will use the four cards in his hand along with three on the table to create a seven card hand. The player must use the elevator and one card from each shaft, and the three cards must be in a line, though the elevator can be in any of the three possible positions. For example, the * cards in the following table cards could be used:
    
    * * * C C C C * C C *
    C C * * * C C C * C C * C
    C C C C * * * C * * C
    
    So the middle card can be thought of to be on any "floor". The order of determing which card to flip is such that the elevator is turned over last and no two shaft cards which can be used in the same hand be turned up until necessary. After all seven cards have been turned up, there is a final betting round and then each player must declare whether they are going high, low or both. If going for both, both hands must be made up of the four cards in their hand and the same set of three from the table.

  • Winner:

    High and low hands split

  • Standard variations:

    The elevator card is wild. Different rows can be used for high and low hands when going both ways.

• Lame Brain Pete

  • Players:

    3-20

  • Initial deal:

    3 cards down to each player, five cards down to the table

  • Play:

    A round of betting is held after the deal, then one of the table cards is turned up. It is wild, along with all cards of the same rank. Another round of betting follows. Repeat until all four table cards are up. Each time a table card is flipped, if it is the lowest showing table card it (and all cards of the same rank) become wild, replacing the previous wild cards.

  • Winner:

    High hand

• Lincoln

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Omaha Hold'Em.

  • Play:

    Same as Omaha Hold'Em except that the lowest shared card is wild for all players.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Omaha Hold'Em

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    4 cards down to each player and five cards down to the table.

  • Play:

    Identical to Texas Hold 'Em except that the final hands must include exactly 2 of the player's four cards and exactly 3 of the table's five cards.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

  • Standard variations:

    High-Low Split 8: High and low hands split the pot, but the low hand must be 8-low (no card in the low hand can be higher than an eight) or lower or the high gets it all. The cards speak for themselves. It is possible for a player to win both high and low, with, for instance, a A-2-3-4-5. That player has both a straight and a perfecr low hand. Generally speaking, for all low-ball games, straights and flushes do not count in determining the low hand.

• Out At Home

  • Players:

    3-11

  • Initial deal:

    Ante. 3 cards down to each player, Four cards down to the table in Baseball Diamond formation.

  • Play:

    Cards are flipped from the table one at a time starting with 'First Base' and ending at 'Home Plate' with a betting round after the deal and after each flip. If the last table card flipped is a face card, then the hand is dead, the remaining players (those that did not fold) re-ante, and a new hand is dealt. 3's and 9's are wild as in baseball. A four flipped on the table gets each remaining player an extra card. Wild cards may require an extra payment to the pot to make them wild and to sweeten the pot.

  • Winner:

    High hand.

• Pineapple

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player instead of 2.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player each player must discard one card before the flop.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Spit in the Ocean

  • Players:

    3-12

  • Initial deal:

    4 cards down to each player, one card is dealt up in the middle.

  • Play:

    Each player receives only 4 cards. The card in the middle is shared by all players and, along with all other cards of the same rank, is wild.

  • Winner:

    High hand

• Super Holdem

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player instead of 2.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player may use all 3 hole cards to make their hand.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Tahoe

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that 3 cards are dealt down to each player instead of 2.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except that each player may use only 2 hole cards to make their hand.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Texas 2-Step

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except. that after the flop is dealt and the betting round is finished, each player may pay the lowest stake for each card he/she wishes to exchange for a new card from the deck. After the next roll and betting round are finished, each player may pay twice the lowest stake for each card he/she wishes to exchange for a new card from the deck. After the last roll and betting round are finished, each player may pay three times the lowest stake for each card he/she wishes to exchange for a new card from the deck. After the last draw, there is a final betting round, then the showdown. If no cards were drawn during the last exchange, there is no extra betting round.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Texas Hold'em

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    2 cards down to each player, five cards down to the table.

  • Play:

    A round of betting is held after the deal, then three of the table cards are turned up. Another round of betting follows. One more table card is flipped, followed by another round of betting. The last card is flipped, a final round if betting ensues, and finally a showdown in which players make their best hands using their 2 and the table's 5.

  • Winner:

    High hand

• Texas League

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em.

  • Play:

    Same as Texas Hold 'Em except, as in Baseball, 3's & 9's are wild (players pay low stake for each common wild card). A common 4 gets each player an extra card.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

  • Standard variations:

    Extra Inning: A sixth common card is dealt. This adds an additional round of betting.

• Tic Tac Toe

  • Players:

    3+

  • Initial deal:

    2 cards down to each player, nine cards up to the table arranged in a 3x3 grid.

  • Play:

    All players place three blue chips in front of them (henceforth called "posts". Betting starts to the dealer's left. At the showdown, players announce their best hand using their two cards plus any vertical, diagonal, or horizontal row of three cards from the table. Note that you must announce your hand-- if you miss a better one, too bad. High hand takes the pot, and all other players must toss one of their posts (if any still remain) into a separate pot. All cards are then discarded and a new hand dealt (without shuffling the deck if enough cards remain) to all players who still have posts. Play continues in this manner until only one player has posts left. That player collects the post pot and the game ends.

  • Winner:

    High hand gets the pot; last player with posts gets the posts.

• Triple-Flop Hold'Em (Patent Pending No. 60/654786)

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Texas Hold'Em.

  • Play:

    The same basic rules apply as in as Texas Hold'Em, with the following exceptions: 1) six (6) community cards are dealt, two (2) at a time, hence, "Triple-Flop"; 2) only three (3) community cards can be used by a given player to make their hand.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

  • Standard variations:

    Immediately after the third flop, each player, in turn, may opt to "buy" another down card for a chip price that is pre-determined by the house, often based on the current stakes, such as 1x, 1.5x, or 2x the highest bet allowed in the game, i.e, $24 in a $6 and $12 limit game; $12 in a $3 and $6 limit game, etc. This option is not as practical in no limit games as it is in limit games.

  • Notes:

    This game will tend to produce larger pots, fewer splits, and additional chances for a player to "make" a winning hand.

• Wild Kingdom

  • Players:

    3-10

  • Initial deal:

    Same as Omaha Hold'Em.

  • Play:

    Same as Omaha Hold'Em except that, as in Baseball, 3's and 9's are wild. Community wild cards require an additional ante per player. Common 4's get each player an extra card.

  • Winner:

    High Hand.

• Z

  • Players:

    3-9

  • Initial deal:

    five cards down to each player, four cards down to the table arranged in a Z:
    
    13
    _42

  • Play:

    The game begins with a betting round, the lead of which rotates each round. After each betting round, flip one of the table cards in the order indicated above (card 1 in the first round, card 2 in the second, etc.). After the last card is flipped there is one more round of betting, and then players form a hand from three of their own cards and any two orthagonally adjacent table cards (1&3, 3&4, 4&2), which they reveal in the showdown.

  • Winner:

    High and low hands split, but the low must be 8-high or better (lower) or else the high hand gets the whole pot.