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Egyptian Hold'em is played like Texas Hold'em, but the board is a pyramid of six community cards: three on the flop, two on the turn and one on the river. Each player makes the best six-card hand from their two hole cards and the six board cards, using a ranking with three extra hands. It was devised by David Morrah, as published on pagat.com.
Also known as Egyptian Hold 'Em
Egyptian Hold'em was devised by David Morrah in 2007, as published on pagat.com. It follows the rules of Texas Hold'em except for the layout of the board and the size of the winning hand.
Two or more players may take part, using a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards.
Each player's hand is the best six cards chosen from their two hole cards and the six community cards, in any combination.
The two players to the left of the dealer post the small and big blinds, as in Texas Hold'em. Each player is dealt two cards face down.
The community cards are dealt face up in a pyramid, with a betting round after each stage:
| Round | Cards dealt before the round | Position in the pyramid |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-flop | Two hole cards to each player | None |
| Flop | Three community cards | Bottom row, in a line |
| Turn | Two community cards | Middle row, above the flop |
| River | One community card | Top of the pyramid |
Betting on each round follows Hold'em: players may check, bet, call, raise or fold in turn.
Because hands have six cards, the ranking differs from standard poker. Three hands are new: House Party, Double Happy and three pair.
| Rank | Hand | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | 9-10-J-Q-K-A of one suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | Six cards of one suit in sequence |
| 3 | House Party | Four of a kind plus a pair |
| 4 | Four of a kind | Four of a kind plus two unmatched cards |
| 5 | Double Happy | Two sets of three of a kind |
| 6 | Full house | Three of a kind, a pair and one other card |
| 7 | Flush | Six cards of one suit |
| 8 | Straight | Six cards in sequence |
| 9 | Three of a kind | Three of a kind and three unmatched cards |
| 10 | Three pair | Three different pairs |
| 11 | Two pair | Two pairs and two unmatched cards |
| 12 | One pair | One pair and four unmatched cards |
Hands rank in the order shown, highest first. Note that in this game three of a kind ranks above three pair.
The source does not give tie-breaking rules. The usual practice is to compare hands of the same type as in standard hand rankings: the most significant group first, then the remaining cards from highest down.
Players remaining after the river betting show their hands. The best six-card hand wins the pot.
House Party beats a full house
Flop: 8♠8♦3♣. Turn: K♥5♠. River: K♦
Player A holds 8♥8♣. With the two eights and two kings on the board, A has 8♠8♦8♥8♣K♥K♦: four of a kind plus a pair, a House Party.
Player B holds K♠3♦. B's best six cards are K♠K♥K♦8♠8♦5♠: a full house.
House Party ranks above a full house, so Player A wins.
A six-card board pairs more often than a five-card one, so full houses and better are more common than in Hold'em. A flush or straight, on the other hand, needs six cards, not five, so both are harder to make than in standard poker.
Six. You choose the best six cards from your two hole cards and the six community cards.
In Egyptian Hold'em, a House Party is four of a kind plus a pair. It ranks just below a straight flush.
Two sets of three of a kind, such as three aces and three sevens. In Egyptian Hold'em it ranks below four of a kind and above a full house.
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.
Egyptian Hold'em Rules · OPR-525 · officialpokerrules.com/egyptian-holdem/