Fifteen Thirty-Five Rules

Fifteen Thirty-Five was contributed to pagat.com by Arthur Buderick as one of the games in his dealer's choice poker sessions. It is a variant of Seven Twenty-Seven and suits about five to eight players.

A standard 52-card deck is used. Cards count as follows:

1.2(a) Each ace counts 1 or 11 points, at the player's choice.

1.2(b) Each king, queen or jack counts ½ or 10 points, at the player's choice.

1.2(c) Cards from 2 to 10 count their face value.

The object is to hold a hand whose total is as close as possible to 15, or to 35, or to both. Because aces and picture cards have two values, a single hand may be counted one way for 15 and another way for 35.

Poker hand rankings play no part in deciding the winner.

Each player places the agreed ante in the pot.

The dealer deals three cards face down to each player.

Starting with the player to the dealer's left and going clockwise, each player turns one card of their choice face up. Each player then holds two cards face down and one face up.

The first betting round follows. It is begun by the player with the highest exposed card, ranking ace highest, then king, queen, jack, 10 and so on down. If two or more exposed cards tie for highest, the first of those players in clockwise order begins.

After each betting round, the dealer asks each player still in the hand, in turn, whether they want another card. A card taken is dealt face up.

Each round of offering cards is followed by a round of poker-style betting, in which players may check, bet, call, raise or fold. The published rules name the opener only for the first round. The dealer shall announce who opens later rounds.

Frozen players. A player who refuses a card may accept one in the next round. A player who refuses a card in two rounds in a row is frozen and may not take any more cards, though they stay in the betting and the showdown. Tokens may be used to show who refused last round and who is frozen.

The cycle of offering cards and betting continues until all but one player has folded, or until a round in which no player takes a card.

If all but one player folds, the remaining player takes the whole pot.

When a round passes with no card taken and two or more players remain, there is a final betting round, followed by the showdown.

Natural 15/35. A hand that totals exactly 15 and also exactly 35 is a natural 15/35. It takes the entire pot, even if another player ties at 15 or at 35. Making one requires at least two aces.

If no one holds a natural 15/35, every remaining player declares at the same moment which target they are playing for, by holding coins in a closed hand:

4.2(a) One coin: 15.

4.2(b) Two coins: 35.

4.2(c) Three coins: both.

The pot is split equally between the winner of the 15 contest and the winner of the 35 contest. If every player declares for the same target, the winner of that target takes the whole pot.

Within each contest, the winner is decided in this order:

5.2(a) The total closest to the target wins. For 35, a total of 36 beats a total of 33½.

5.2(b) If two totals are the same distance away, the one under the target beats the one over. For 15, a total of 14 beats a total of 16.

5.2(c) If still level, the hand with fewer cards wins.

A player who declares both must win both contests outright. A player who loses or ties either contest is eliminated from both, and each half of the pot goes to the best player who declared for that target alone.

The published rules do not say what happens if players are still level after rule 5.2(c). The usual practice is that they share that half of the pot.