Estonian Twist Rules

Estonian Twist is a fixed-stake poker game with no betting rounds. Each player pays the same stake, is dealt three cards, sees a three-card flop, passes one card to the left and discards one, keeping two. The turn and river follow, and the best five-card hand from two hole cards and five board cards takes the pot.

Type: Fixed stake, no betting
Cards per player: 3, reduced to 2
Community cards: 5
Wild cards: None
Pot: High only

Article 1Players, stake and objective

1.1

Estonian Twist is one of a group of fixed-stake games contributed to pagat.com by Ilya Bugreyev. They were first published on the Pokerlistings website, where they are attributed to Mikolaj Domanski.

1.2

The game uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards and standard hand rankings.

1.3

Before the deal, every player puts the same agreed stake into the pot. There is no betting, raising, calling or folding: every player stays in until the showdown.

1.4

Unlike pure-chance games such as Blind Hold'em, Estonian Twist involves two decisions: which card to pass and which card to discard.

Article 2The deal, the pass and the discard

Each player is dealt three cards face down, which only they may look at.
Three cards, the flop, are dealt face up to the table.
Each player passes one card face down to the player on their left (see 2.1).
Each player discards one of their three cards face down, keeping two.
A fourth card, the turn, and a fifth card, the river, are dealt face up to the table.
The showdown.

2.1

The pass shall be simultaneous. Each player places the card they are passing face down in front of them. When everyone has done so, each player picks up the card left by the player on their right.

2.2

Discards go face down to the muck and play no further part in the hand.

Article 3Showdown

3.1

Each player makes the best five-card poker hand from their two remaining cards and the five board cards, as in Texas Hold'em. The best hand wins the pot. Identical hands split it.

3.2

By agreement, players may reveal their hole cards at any time after the discard, for example one before the turn and one before the river, to add suspense. This does not affect the result.

Example

Passing and discarding

A player is dealt A♠K♠7♦. The flop is Q♠J♠4♥.

The player passes 7♦ to the left and receives 9♣ from the right, holding A♠K♠9♣. The player discards 9♣ and keeps A♠K♠.

The turn is 10♦ and the river 2♣. The player's best hand is A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♦, an ace-high straight.

Article 4Related games and notes

Estonian Twist belongs to the same group of fixed-stake games as Blind Hold'em and Blind Omaha, which use no decisions at all.

The card you pass helps your left-hand opponent, so pass the card least likely to help them, as well as the one you need least.
The pass comes before the discard, so you choose your final two cards knowing what you received.

Article 5Frequently asked questions

Is there betting in Estonian Twist?

No. Everyone pays the same fixed stake before the deal and stays in until the showdown. The skill lies in choosing which card to pass and which to discard.

Which way do you pass in Estonian Twist?

To the left. All players pass at the same time, face down, and then pick up the card from the player on their right.

How many cards do you keep in Estonian Twist?

Two. You start with three, pass one, receive one, then discard one.

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.

Estonian Twist Rules · OPR-528 · officialpokerrules.com/estonian-twist/

OPR-528Uncontrolled when printed