Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-517 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Criss Cross (Tic Tac Toe) Rules

In Criss Cross, also called Tic Tac Toe, each player is dealt two cards face down and nine shared cards are laid face down in a three-by-three grid. The grid cards are turned up with betting as they appear. At showdown each player combines both hole cards with any one row, column or diagonal of the grid to make a five-card hand.

Also known as Tic Tac Toe

Hole cards: 2 per player
Shared cards: 9, in a 3x3 grid
Lines available: 8 (3 rows, 3 columns, 2 diagonals)
Wild cards: None, unless the centre card is made wild
Pot: High only, or high-low with declaration

Article 1Players, deck and layout

1.1

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck without jokers. Hands are ranked according to the standard poker hand rankings. The object is to win the pot with the best five-card hand, or by making a bet no one calls.

1.2

Nine shared cards are dealt face down to the centre of the table in a grid of three rows of three. Each position is numbered to show the order in which it is turned up:

	Left	Centre	Right
Top row	8	1	5
Middle row	4	9	2
Bottom row	7	3	6

Figure 1.1The grid of nine shared cards, numbered in the order in which they are turned; the centre card is turned last and lies on four of the eight lines.

1.3

A line is any three grid cards in a straight row, column or diagonal. There are eight lines: the rows 8-1-5, 4-9-2 and 7-3-6; the columns 8-4-7, 1-9-3 and 5-2-6; and the diagonals 8-9-6 and 5-9-7.

1.4

The name Criss Cross is also used for Iron Cross, a different game with a cross-shaped layout of five cards. The dealer shall make clear which game is being dealt.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Each player places an agreed ante in the pot before the deal.

2.2

Each player is dealt two cards face down, one at a time, starting with the player to the dealer's left. The dealer then lays out the nine grid cards face down as shown in 1.2.

2.3

Each betting round begins with the first active player to the dealer's left.

Article 3Revealing the grid and betting

3.1

There is a betting round after the deal. The grid cards are then turned face up in numerical order, 1 to 9, so that the centre card is revealed last.

3.2

The dealer shall announce before the deal how the grid will be revealed. The usual methods are:

3.2(a) One card at a time, with a betting round after each card. This gives ten betting rounds in all, which many players find too many.

3.2(b) In groups: cards 1 to 4, a betting round; cards 5 to 8, a betting round; card 9, a final betting round.

3.2(c) By rows: the top row (8-1-5), a betting round; the bottom row (7-3-6), a betting round; the middle row (4-9-2), a final betting round.

3.3

If all but one player folds at any point, the remaining player wins the pot without showing their cards.

Article 4Showdown

4.1

Each player's hand is exactly five cards: both of their hole cards plus the three cards of any one line of the grid. Cards from different lines may not be combined.

4.2

Different players may choose different lines. The best high hand wins the pot, and identical hands split it.

4.3

When the game is played high-low, it is played with a declaration: each player announces whether they are playing for high, low or both. Players shall agree before the deal whether a player going both ways must use the same line for both hands, or may choose a different line for each. The ranking used for low hands shall also be agreed in advance; see hand rankings.

Example

Choosing the best line

The grid, top to bottom: K♠7♦2♣ / A♣9♥7♥ / 4♠7♣J♦

Player A holds A♥A♦. The middle row gives three aces with a 9 and 7. The left column (K♠A♣4♠) gives three aces with a king and 4, which is better because the king outranks the 9. Player A plays A-A-A-K-4.

Player B holds 7♠8♥. The centre column (7♦9♥7♣) gives three sevens, 7-7-7-9-8.

Both hold three of a kind, and three aces beat three sevens. Player A wins the pot.

Article 5Common variations

Centre card wild. The centre card (9) and all cards of the same rank are wild. With wild cards five of a kind is possible, and it normally ranks above a straight flush; the dealer shall confirm this, and whether a wild card may count as an ace in a low hand.
Four hole cards, use two. Each player is dealt four cards and must use exactly two of them with the three cards of one line.
Four hole cards, flexible. Each player is dealt four cards and may use two, three or all four of them with three, two or one cards from a single line.
Tic Tac Toe with Posts. Besides the ante, each player puts up three stakes called posts. The grid is dealt face up and each player gets two cards; after one betting round the survivors show and must call their own hand, since the cards do not speak. Every player who did not win, including those who folded, loses one post to a separate posts pot. New two-card hands are dealt against the same grid until only one player has posts left, and that player takes the posts pot.
Tic Tac Toe with choice. Each player gets three cards, and the grid is face down. The last player to bet or raise chooses two outer grid cards to turn up, and a round of betting follows, opened by a compulsory bet from the next active player. This repeats until all eight outer cards are showing; the centre card is turned last. Hands use three hole cards and two cards of a line, or two hole cards and a full line. The pot is split between the best poker hand and the player holding the highest card in the suit of the centre card.

Related grid and line games include Iron Cross, Elevator, Pyramid and Z.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

How many cards do you use in Criss Cross poker?

In the standard game you use exactly five: both of your hole cards and the three cards of one row, column or diagonal of the grid.

Can you use cards from two different rows in Tic Tac Toe poker?

No. The three grid cards must all come from the same line. There are eight lines to choose from: three rows, three columns and two diagonals.

Is Criss Cross the same game as Iron Cross?

The name is used for both. This page describes the 3x3 grid game, also called Tic Tac Toe. Iron Cross uses five hole cards and five shared cards in the shape of a cross.

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.

Criss Cross (Tic Tac Toe) Rules · OPR-517 · officialpokerrules.com/criss-cross/

OPR-517Uncontrolled when printed