Other poker info

Poker variations

The game of Poker has been varied in play more than any other game. Many players prefer the occasional introduction of the new games in order to speed up the play and to see valuable hands more often. Still others play nothing but the variations, and delight in making up new games for themselves. In recent years, variations have developed locally as fast as human ingenuity could concoct them. In all these variations the general laws of Poker apply, with the exceptions noted.

Dealer's choice games

"Dealer's Choice" the current dealer has the right to name the game to be played and to determine the rules or variations. He may state, "Stud Poker," and imply that he selects standard Stud Poker, using the general laws. On the other hand, he may change the rules for his deal by saying, "Stud Poker with the deuces wild." The dealer is the final authority on rules unless he does not indicate any changes from the published rules before beginning to deal.

There are various methods of assigning the dealer's choice. Among the most popular are the following systems:

1. Each dealer, in his turn, names the game. If dealers, in succession, wish to continue the same game selected by dealers before them, they have the right to do so. In case of a hand passed out, the ante is repeated but the same dealer deals again.
2. After any player holds an unusually valuable Poker combination, such as four of a kind or a straight flush, a round of dealer's choice is declared, applying to each dealer in turn, once around the table.
3. The first dealer names a game, which must be played by each dealer once around the table. After one round of this game, ending with the first dealer, the next player on the left names another game for his deal and for the round.
4. One game, such as Jackpots, is selected for the main game of the Poker session. A buck is put in the centre of the table with the ante. The winner of the first pot takes the buck. When it becomes the turn of this player to deal, he may name any game to be played on that hand. The buck then goes to the winner of this pot, and he too may name the game when it is his turn to deal. When the holder of the buck is not dealing, the main game of the session must be played. In case the dealer has selected a high-low game, the winner nearer to the left of the present dealer takes the buck.

Nearly all the usual variations of Poker employ several wild cards, and to this feature some dealers add the provision that holding certain cards makes a hand foul. For example, a dealer may say (dealing Stud Poker), "The red fours are wild but the black fours kill your hand unless they are concealed." The holder of a foul hand cannot win a pot, and must therefore drop as soon as the killing card is dealt to him.

Stud Poker variations

• 5-Card stud, last card down. This is regular Stud Poker, with the fifth card dealt face-down instead of up.
• Mexican stud. The first two cards are dealt to each player face down. Players look at their cards and select one to be placed face up. The concealed card is then wild for each player. After a round of betting, another card is dealt around face down. Each player decides which of the two concealed cards to turn face up, and which to keep in his hand for a wild card. Another round of betting follows. The process continues until each player has four cards exposed before him, and one wild card concealed in his hand. This card is wild only for the player who holds it, and like- wise wild for him are all other cards of the same rank as the concealed card. After the final round of betting, all those players still in the game show their concealed cards and announce the values of their hands. The game is often played high-low.
• 5-Card stud, last card optionally down. This game is similar to standard Stud Poker, except that the player turn up his hole card before the last round is dealt and ask his fifth card face-down.
• Pistol, or hole-card stud. This is played according to the stand- and laws of Stud Poker, except that there is a betting interval after the first (hole) card is dealt, making five betting intervals in all.
• 7-Card stud variation. On the first round of dealing each player receives two cards, one down and one up. After the betting interval he receives two more cards, one down and one up. After betting, two more cards are dealt similarly. After betting, the last card is dealt down. Each player then has three cards exposed on the table and four concealed in his hand. He turns over and discards one card from the table and one from his hand, leaving a Poker hand of two exposed cards and three concealed. The final round of betting follows, before the showdown.
• Stud variations, other than five or seven cards. These games are played, in general, with the rules of Seven-card Stud. When six cards are used there may be two cards down and the next four up, or the first two may be down and also the last one. In Eight-card Stud, the first two are dealt down, the next five up, and the last one down. Some players try even more strange combinations of up and down cards, up to a total of ten. In every case, a player picks five of his cards to be his hand in the showdown.
• Double-barrelled shotgun, or Texas tech. Each player is dealt three cards face down, then there is a betting interval; another face-down card, another betting interval; a fifth face-down card, a third betting interval. There is then a draw as in Draw Poker. After the draw, each player turns up one card, followed by a betting interval; another card, followed by a betting interval; and so on, until each has four cards face up and one face down, after which there is a final betting interval and a showdown. Cards must be turned up simultaneously, at a signal given by the dealer.
• Baseball. Seven-card Stud is played, with all nines and threes wild; but when a three is dealt face up, the player to whom it is dealt must either match the pot (put into the pot as many chips as are already in it) or drop. Any four dealt face up entitles the recipient to an additional hole card, which the dealer immediately gives him, face down, from the top of the pack. Baseball may also be played as a five-card Stud game.
• Football. This is the same as Baseball except that sixes and fours are wild, a four dealt face up requires the player to match the pot or drop, and a deuce dealt face up entitles the player to a free hole card, dealt immediately.
• Pistol stud. There is a betting interval after the hole cards are dealt, in addition to the usual betting intervals after the face-up cards are dealt.
• Low hole card wild. Seven-card Stud is played, with each player's' lowest hole card, and each other card of the same rank in his hand, wild for him. (Cards of that rank are not necessarily wild for other players.)

Draw Poker variations

• Whiskey Poker. The dealer gives five cards, face down, to each player and an extra hand ("widow") of five cards in the middle of the table. He must deal to each player in turn around to the left, one card at a time, then the widow, then himself last. Each player, beginning at the dealer's left, has the option of exchanging his hand for the widow, or keeping it as it is. If he takes up the widow, he places his five cards face-up on the table and they become the new widow. Each player in turn has the option of taking up all or one card of the new widow and replacing it with cards from his own hand. If a player wishes to play his original hand, he signals by knocking on the table, but he cannot draw and knock at the same time.
  The process of exchanging cards continues around the table until some player knocks. A knock means that this player will show his present hand when it is his turn next around the table, and that thus each player has only one more chance to exchange cards. No player may draw after he has once knocked. A player may knock before the widow is exposed, if he wishes to.
  If no one takes the widow until it comes around to the dealer, and no one has knocked, the dealer must either take up the widow for himself, or turn it face-up on the table. Even if the dealer knocks, and does not take up the widow, he must spread it on the table for each player to see and draw once more. If any player, other than the dealer, knocks before the widow is exposed, the widow does not have to be exposed unless some player wishes to exchange his hand for it.
  After the knock and the final round of draws, all hands are shown to the table. The highest takes the pot, if a pot has been made by an ante from all. The lowest pays the forfeit agreed upon beforehand. Some players prefer to have a round of betting before the showdown.
• The wild widow. This game is similar to Draw Poker except that, after four cards have been dealt to each player, the next card is dealt face-up in the centre of the table and it remains there during the game. The fifth cards are then dealt to players to complete their hands. The three other cards of the same denomination as the centre card are wild. Thus, if an eight is in the centre, the three other eights are wild.
• Spit in the ocean. Only four cards are dolt to each player. The next card in the pack is turned face-up in the centre of the table and is considered as the fifth card in each player's hand. This card is wild, and the others of the same denomination are also wild throughout the game. After a betting interval, there is a draw as in any Draw Poker game except that each player draws to a four-card hand, then a final betting interval and a showdown.
• Variations of spit in the ocean. The many variations of this game are usually played high-low.
  In one of them, three cards are dealt face down in the centre, and four to each player. The centre cards take the place of the draw. Each of these cards is turned up, one at a time, followed by a round of betting. The players have the option of using centre cards to complete their hands. On the showdown, each player selects a Poker hand of five cards, combining any of the centre cards with the cards in his own hand.
  One game is called Cincinnati, Lame Brains, and by other names. Five cards are dealt to each player and another hand of five cards face down on the table. The centre cards are turned up one at a time, with a round of betting after each is exposed. Each player selects a hand of five cards from among the cards in his own hand and the five on the' table. Sometimes this game is played with the centre card in the middle wild, and sometimes with the lowest card on the table wild.
  In the variation called Round the World, each player is dealt four cards and there are four cards in the centre of the table, face down. The game is played for high hand only. The centre cards are turned up one at a time, with a round of betting after each card is exposed.
• Shotgun. Three cards are dealt to each player face down and there is a round of betting. Other rounds of betting follow the dealing of the fourth and fifth cards. Players still in the game draw to improve their hands, and there is a final round of betting.
• Hurricane. Only two cards are dealt to each player, and the highest hand that can be held consists of two aces. The game is played as Straight Poker, or it can be played with a draw. Sometimes wild cards are added, and sometimes it is played high-low with deuces wild, so that 2-A is the perfect hand-a pair of aces for high, 2-A (or double-ace) low.
• Three-card monte. One card is dealt to each player face down and two cards face up, with a round of betting following the dealing of each card. The usual rank of Poker value is used, except that there cannot be two pairs, a full house, or four of a kind. Straights and flushes are composed of three cards only but three of a kind is the highest hand. With wild cards, this becomes a high-low game as does Hurricane.
• Show five cards. Seven cards are dealt face down to each player, and each player looks at his cards. At a signal from the dealer, each player turns up one of his cards on the table. Before giving the signal, the dealer should inquire whether everyone is ready. After the cards are exposed, there is a round of betting. After the betting is completed, the dealer gives the signal for the exposure of the second cards. All these second cards must be exposed at the same time. The process continues until each player in the game has five cards exposed for the showdown. The game is usually played high-low. It is not unusual for a player to change his mind during the game and try for low rather than high.

Poker Ethics

The only safe guiding principle in Poker ethics Is, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do." In some games, a player may do anything to fool his opponents so long as he does not cheat; it is considered part of the skill of the game to do so, and by no means unsportsmanlike. In some games, it is considered unethical-at least sharp-to check on a good hand in the hope that someone else will bet and you can raise him. And in some games it is considered improper even to bet when you know you have the strongest hand, on the grounds that "a gentleman will not bet on a sure thing." Since card-playing is a social pastime, a player is best advised to follow the standards of the other players and remain popular.

Bluffing

To bluff, in Poker, is to make a bet on a hand you know, or believe, is not the best, in the hope that other players will believe you are strong and will drop. Bluffing is so much a part of Poker that the game would be no good without it. But some players believe you should not support your bluff by making remarks you know are untrue, as by announcing you have improved your hand in the draw when you have not.

Intentionally breaking the rules

In most circles it is not considered ethical to announce, out of turn, that you intend to bet, to raise, to drop, when actually you have no intention of so doing when your turn comes. It is safe to make such false announcements, because no penalty is provided for them; but regard for the other players should rule them out when they are not in accord with the code of ethics followed in the game you are playing in. In no circle is it considered ethical to break the rules, as by passing out of turn, unless it is advantageous to you to do so; for in any other case you can hurt someone else without possibility of helping yourself.

Partnerships, splitting pots

In all Poker circles it is considered unethical, and almost cheating, to play in partnership with another player; and it is improper to split a pot rather than have a showdown.

Betting blind

When a player announces that he is betting (or checking) "blind' -that is, without looking at his hand-he does so to avoid the stigma that in some games attaches to trap passes and sandbagging. Nevertheless, in nearly all circles it is considered unethical for a player to announce that he is betting or checking blind when in fact he has seen his hand.

Betting on an obviously beaten hand

If a player in Stud Poker bets when his opponent, in his four showing cards, can obviously beat any five-card combination the bettor might have, it is quite proper for any other player in the game to call attention to that fact and for the mistaken bettor then to withdraw his bet.

Poker strategy

Of all card games, Poker best rewards skilful play. The best player in the game will win consistently even if he holds inferior cards; he will seldom lose. The ingredients of skill are: Observation of the other players, and judgment of what hands prompt the bets they make; the patience to throw away a hand whenever the chance of winning the pot is less than the number of chips to be gained by winning; some knowledge of the mathematics of Poker, from which one may judge what is a good hand and what a bad hand, how many cards to draw to any given holding, etc.

Percentages

The advisability of staying in to draw to an inferior holding is often stated as follows: You count (roughly) the number of chips in the pot; suppose there are 10 chips there, and it will cost you 2 to call the last bet. The pot offers you five- to-one odds. Now you compare the odds against your winning the pot; suppose you have a four-flush, in which case the odds are thirty-eight to nine, or somewhat more than four to one, that you will not make a flush on a one-card draw. Since the pot offers you five to one, and the odds against your making the flush are only four to one, you put in the 2 chips and play. Such calculation is worthless, of course, unless you are virtually sure of winning the pot if your draw is successful. If there is any appreciable danger that you may make the flush and still lose, you should not play. For example, you should not play in such a pot if it has been raised more than once.

Position

The more players that have to take action before you, the better your position is. At the start, the dealer in Draw Poker has the best seat, the player at his left, who must speak first, has the worst. ( The latter is said to be "under the guns.")
In a Jackpots game, it is unwise to open in an early position with jacks or queens, because of the danger that someone may raise. As dealer or near to the dealer's right, if no one else has opened, it is correct to open on such a hand.
At all times, a doubtful play is worth making when other players will make their decisions before you, but it is better to drop when you must decide on betting or calling before other players.

Bluffing

A player who never bluffs will not often be called. The purpose of bluffing is to create doubt in other players' minds so that they will call you when you have a good hand (as you usually will have when you bet). Provided you do not lose many more than half your bluffs, a losing bluff may be considered as "advertising." Nevertheless, your effort should be to win every time you bluff ; the losing occasions will take care of themselves. When you bluff and win, you should never show your hand.
Before bluffing, consider whether you would have played and bet the hand precisely the same way if you actually held what our bluff pretends. If you have not done this, the bluff will probably fail.
The correct bluffing bet, when the limit permits it, is exactly the size of the pot. You cannot expect more than a 50% chance to win on your bluff, and you should not risk more than you can win; while a small bet as a bluff will too seldom succeed.

Opening

The minimum hand that has a satisfactory chance to be the best hand going in is: Against six opponents, a pair of aces; against four or five, a pair of kings o against three, a pair of queens against two, a pair of jacks. This assumes that so many players have yet to be heard from. With less, it is unwise to open.

Staying in

In Draw Poker, two fair pairs - jacks or queen up - will win the average pot. To stay in a pot, you should have a good chance to draw that good a hand, and even then you should stay only when you have no reason to believe someone else has a better hand than yours.
In Stud Poker, it is unwise to stay in on your first two cards unless you have a pair; an ace in the hole; a king in the hole and an upcard no lower than eight; a queen or jack in the hole with a ten or higher up. At later stages, about the only invariable rule is that you should not stay in against an open pair unless you already have a higher pair; but in general you should drop unless you think you have the best hand or are offered good odds against your chance to fill your hand.
In Seven-card Stud, you should have a pair; or three cards in sequence; or three cards of the same suit; or an A-K or A-Q.
In Seven-card High-Low Stud, you must invariably play for low. Two cards below the sevens of are virtually a minimum for staying in. Almost the only high holdings worth staying in on are three of a kind or three cards of a suit; perhaps three cards in sequence. The advantage of playing for low is that you retain a chance to win both ways, if you should draw a flush or straight with a good low hand. Playing for high, you relinquish all hope of winning more than half the pot.

Betting and raising

In general, a bet is unwise when some other player has taken the lead against you; it is better to check (if the rules allow) and let him bet, whereupon you can raise. (This is entirely ethical; but in some games such "sandbagging" is frowned upon, and in such cases it is best to conform to the custom of the game and bet whenever you think you have the winning hand.)
A raise before the draw has a tendency to drive other players out. Sometimes this is your object. For example, if you have two pair in a seven-hand Draw Poker game, there is a 63% chance that your hand is high before the draw; but the odds are eleven to one that you will not improve it. It is standard practice to raise the opener on such a hand, to drive out the other players before they can draw, improve their hands, and perhaps beat you. With a pat straight, in the same circumstances, you would not raise; you would just call, hoping to lure in other players and increase the size of the pot before your pat hand is revealed.
In Stud Poker, and often in Draw Poker, a raise should be deferred as long as possible, if some other player is willing to bet. If you raise, other players will simply check to you thereafter. If you wait until the final betting interval, you can still raise; the limit may be higher; and you will be better able to judge the chance that your hand will win.
It is dangerous, in Draw Poker, to bet into one-card draw that can raise and win if it made a straight or flush, and that probably will not even call if it did not; such a bet stands to lose everything and gain nothing. Likewise, in Stud Poker, it is dangerous to bet into a possible cinch hand (one that can surely beat you if it has a certain hole card). But occasionally it is necessary to bet into such hands. The decision will depend on your judgment of what the player is likely to have.

Calling

The old maxim was that a good Poker player does not call. Either he has the winning hand and raises, or he has a losing hand and drops. This is an undue overssimplification. Nevertheless, the calling game is usually a losing game. No call should ever be made from
curiosity or pique. The only standard for a call is: You should have a better hand than the hand on which the player against you might, in your estimation, have bet. If you find yourself consistently calling and losing, revise sour style so that you do not call so often.