Official Poker Rules
Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-661 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Black Mariah Rules

Black Mariah is a name used for at least four different seven-card stud games. In its own distinct form, a player must hold both the best poker hand and the highest spade to win the pot; if no single player has both, the pot carries over to a new deal. The name is also used for The Bitch, for High Chicago and for a version of Follow the Queen.

Type
Seven-card stud
Wild cards
None in the standard form
To win
Best hand and highest spade
Pot
High only; carries over if not won

Article 1Which game is Black Mariah?

Because the name covers several games, the dealer shall say which one is meant before the deal.

1.1

The name Black Mariah is used for these games:

1.1(a) The game described on this page, in which one player must hold both the best hand and the highest spade.

1.1(b) The Bitch, where a face-up queen of spades forces a redeal and a hidden queen of spades wins half the pot. This is the most common use of the name.

1.1(c) A version of Follow the Queen in which play ends at once if the queen of spades is dealt face up, as in The Bitch.

1.1(d) High Chicago, where the high hand splits the pot with the highest spade in the hole.

Article 2Players, deck and objective

2.1

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck without jokers. There are no wild cards.

2.2

To win the pot, a single player must hold both the best five-card high hand, ranked by the standard poker hand rankings, and the highest spade among all the players in the showdown.

2.3

The high spade may be any of the player's seven cards, face up or face down, and need not be part of their best five-card hand.

Article 3The deal and betting

3.1

The deal and betting follow seven-card stud.

StreetCardsBetting round
Third2 down, 1 upFirst
Fourth1 upSecond
Fifth1 upThird
Sixth1 upFourth
Seventh1 downFifth; then showdown

Article 4Showdown and carrying over the pot

4.1

If the same player holds the best hand and the highest spade, that player wins the whole pot.

4.2

If the best hand and the highest spade are held by different players, or if no player in the showdown has any spade, no one wins. The pot stays in the middle for a new deal.

4.3

Only the players who took part in the showdown play in the new deal.

Example

Nobody wins

Player A shows 9♦10♦J♣Q♥K♠4♣2♥: a king-high straight, with the king of spades.

Player B shows A♠A♦7♣5♥3♦8♥6♣: a pair of aces, with the ace of spades.

A has the best hand but B has the highest spade, so neither wins. The pot carries over, and A and B play a new deal for it.

Example

One player has both

Player A shows A♠K♠8♠3♠2♠7♦7♣: an ace-high spade flush, including the ace of spades. If no other player in the showdown beats the flush, A wins the whole pot.

Article 5Strategy notes

  • The ace of spades guarantees the highest spade, but it wins nothing unless the same player also has the best hand.
  • Pots can build over several deals, since many showdowns end with no winner.
  • A spade flush holding the ace of spades is the ideal hand: it is often the best hand and always the highest spade.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

Is Black Mariah the same as The Bitch?

Often, yes. Black Mariah is widely used as another name for The Bitch. It is also used for High Chicago, a Follow the Queen variant and its own game, so check which one the dealer means.

Does the high spade have to be in the hole in Black Mariah?

Not in the version where you need both the best hand and the highest spade. The spade can be any of your seven cards. In High Chicago, which is sometimes also called Black Mariah, it must be face down.

What happens if nobody wins the pot?

The pot carries over to a new deal, played only by the players who were in the showdown.

§
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.

Black Mariah Rules · OPR-661 · officialpokerrules.com/black-mariah/

OPR-661Uncontrolled when printed