Hold ‘Em

The Pack

The standard 52-card pack is used.

Object of the Game

The goal of each player is to win the pot which contains all the bets that the players have made in any one deal. A player makes a bet in hopes that they have the best hand, or to give the impression that they do. The top combination of five cards is the best hand and winner for that deal. The winner gets all the chips in the pot at the end of the round.

Card Values/Scoring

Straight Flush – This is the highest possible hand when only the standard pack is used, and there are no wild cards. A straight flush consists of five cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 of hearts.

Four of a Kind – This is the next highest hand. An example is four aces or four 3s.

Full House – This colorful hand is made up of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as three 8s and two 4s.

Flush – Five cards all of the same suit, but not all in sequence, is a flush. An example is Q, 10, 7, 6, and 2 of clubs.

Straight – Five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit is a straight. An example is 9♥, 8♣, 7♠, 6♦, 5♥.

Three of a Kind – This combination contains three cards of the same rank, and the other two cards each of a different rank, such as three jacks, a seven, and a four.

Two Pairs – This hand contains a pair of one rank and another pair of a different rank, plus any fifth card of a different rank, such as Q, Q, 7, 7, 4.

One Pair – This frequent combination contains just one pair with the other three cards being of different rank. An example is 10, 10, K, 4, 3.

No Pair – This very common hand contains nothing. None of the five cards pair up, nor are all five cards of the same suit or consecutive in rank. When more than one player has no pair, the hands are rated by the highest card each hand contains, so that an ace-high hand beats a king-high hand, and so on.

The Deal

For this version of High Low Poker, each player receives two cards face down, and five cards are dealt face down to the center of the table.

The Play

Once the cards are dealt, the person to the left of the dealer begins the first round of betting. Players have the option to check, bet, raise or fold after each deal.

• Check: A nominal bet; usually one that does not require any chip to be put in the pot.

• Bet: Put a number of chips in the pot based on your likeliness of having the best hand and winning.

• Raise: Put more chips in the pot than are needed to meet the previous bet.

• Fold: Withdraw from the current deal, as signified by turning one’s cards face down.

After the first betting interval, three of the five center cards are turned face up in the center. Then there is a second betting interval, followed by one more center card being turned up. Then there is a third betting interval, and the last center card is turned up. Then there is a final betting round. The player must use his best five cards, taken from the two in his hand and the five turned up in the center of the table to form the best poker hand possible.

The player with the best hand wins the pot.