Official Poker Rules
Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-593 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Assassin Poker Rules

Assassin is played like Five Card Draw, but the twos are deadly: any player who reaches the showdown holding a two loses automatically. A player who discards a two face up at the draw receives one extra card, giving a six-card hand from which the best five are played.

Also known as Assassin Poker

Players
As for Five Card Draw
Type
Draw
Wild cards
None; twos are "assassins"
Pot
High only

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

Assassin is a variant of Five Card Draw, contributed to pagat.com by Joel Lau. Except as set out on this page, the rules of Five Card Draw apply, including its betting structure.

1.2

The game uses a standard 52-card deck. The twos are called assassins. They are not wild. The source notes that jokers may also be used in the same role; if the group adds jokers, they shall be treated exactly as twos.

1.3

The object is to win the pot with the best five-card high hand at showdown, ranked by the standard poker hand rankings, while holding no two. A player may also win by making a bet that no one calls.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Antes or blinds are posted, and each player is dealt five cards face down, as in Five Card Draw.

2.2

A betting round follows the deal, as in Five Card Draw.

Article 3The draw and the extra card

3.1

At the draw, each player in turn may discard cards and receive the same number of replacements. Any limit on the number of cards drawn follows the group's usual Five Card Draw rules and shall be announced before the deal.

3.2

A player who was dealt one or more twos may discard them face up. A player who does so receives one extra card in addition to the normal replacements, and so finishes with six cards.

3.2(a) Only one extra card is given, however many twos the player discards face up.

3.2(b) A player is not obliged to reveal a discarded two. They may discard it face down like any other card, receive no extra card, and keep a five-card hand. This lowers the chance of drawing another two.

3.3

A player may also keep a two, but a two held at the showdown loses (see 4.1). A two received among the replacement cards is equally fatal.

3.4

A final betting round follows the draw.

Article 4Showdown

4.1

A player whose final hand contains a two is assassinated and automatically loses any showdown, whatever the rest of the hand holds.

4.2

A player holding a two need not reveal it during the betting. If they bet and every other player folds, they win the pot without showing their cards.

4.3

A player with six cards plays the best five of them, but shall also show the sixth card, to prove that it is not a two.

4.4

Among the players with no two, the best five-card hand wins. Equal hands split the pot.

4.5

If every player in the showdown holds a two, all of them lose and the pot is carried forward to the next deal.

Example

Trading a two for an extra card

Player A is dealt 2♣K♥K♣9♠7♦. A discards the 2♣ face up and the 7♦ face down, and so receives two replacements plus one extra card: K♠9♥4♦.

A now holds K♥K♣K♠9♠9♥4♦. The best five cards are K-K-K-9-9, a full house, kings full of nines. A shows the 4♦ as the sixth card.

Player B shows A♠A♦A♥8♣2♦. Three aces would lose to A's full house anyway, but B also holds a two, so B is assassinated regardless. A wins the pot.

Article 5Strategy notes

  • Every card drawn carries a risk of being a two. With four twos in the deck (more if jokers are added), drawing more cards means more exposure.
  • Revealing a two buys a sixth card, which improves the hand but adds one more card that could itself be a two.
  • A player stuck with a two can still win by bluffing, since the hand only loses if it is shown down.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

Are twos wild in Assassin poker?

No. Twos are not wild. Any two left in your final hand makes you lose the showdown automatically.

Do I have to show my twos when I discard them?

No. Discarding a two face up earns one extra card, but you may discard it face down instead and receive no extra card.

What happens if everyone at the showdown has a two?

All of them lose, and the pot carries over to the next deal.

§
Final authority

Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.

Hand rankings, high to low: royal flush · straight flush · four of a kind · full house · flush · straight · three of a kind · two pair · one pair · high card. Suits never break ties.

Assassin Poker Rules · OPR-593 · officialpokerrules.com/assassin/

OPR-593Uncontrolled when printed