Official Poker Rules
Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-529 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Flaming Cross Rules

Flaming Cross is a high-low variant of Iron Cross. Each player gets five cards and five table cards are laid in a cross; as each table card is turned, players pay a set cost to stay in, and that cost doubles card by card and with every raise. At showdown players use at least two of their own cards with cards from one line of the cross. It was devised by Arthur Buderick for his Dealer's Choice Poker rules, as published on pagat.com.

Cards per player
5
Community cards
5, in a cross
Betting
Pay to stay, doubling
Wild cards
None (centre card in 3-card version)
Pot
High-low split, with declaration

Article 1Players, deck and the cross

1.1

Flaming Cross was devised by Arthur Buderick as one of the games in his Dealer's Choice Poker rules, as published on pagat.com. It is a variant of Iron Cross.

1.2

The game uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards. It is played high-low with a declaration.

1.3

After each player pays the ante, each is dealt five cards face down. Five cards are dealt face down to the table in the shape of a cross: West, North, East, South and Centre.

2North1West5Centre3East4South
Figure 1.1The five cards of the cross, with discs showing the order in which they are turned; the Centre card, turned last, belongs to both lines.
1.4

The cross has two lines: the vertical line (North, Centre, South) and the horizontal line (West, Centre, East).

Article 2Paying to stay in

Flaming Cross does not use ordinary poker betting. Instead, each table card has a cost that every player must pay to stay in.

2.1

The dealer turns the cross cards face up one at a time, in the order shown below. After each card is turned, every player who wishes to stay in shall pay its cost into the pot. A player who does not pay folds.

OrderCard turnedCost to stay in (no raises)
1West1 chip
2North2 chips
3East4 chips
4South8 chips
5Centre16 chips
2.2

Instead of paying the cost, a player may raise by paying twice the cost. Every other player still in shall then call, fold or re-raise.

2.3

Each raise doubles every later cost. For example, after two raises the cost of staying in after the Centre card is 64 chips instead of 16.

2.4

The player on the dealer's left begins the first round. After each new card, the player who begins moves one place to the left.

Example

How raises double the costs

After West is turned, a player raises by paying 2 chips instead of 1. From then on, North costs 4, East 8, South 16 and Centre 32.

If another player raises after East, East then costs 16 and every later cost doubles again: South costs 32 and Centre 64.

Article 3Declaration and showdown

3.1

After the last payment, players declare high, low or both. The source does not specify a method; simultaneous declaration with chips held in a closed hand is the usual practice.

3.2

Each player makes a five-card hand from two or more of their own cards plus none, one, two or three cards from one line of the cross. Cards from the vertical line and the horizontal line shall not be combined, except that the Centre card belongs to both.

3.3

A player who declares both ways may use one line for the high hand and the other line for the low hand.

3.4

The best high hand among those declaring high wins the high half, and the best low hand among those declaring low wins the low half. The source does not set out the low-hand rules or what happens when a two-way player loses one side; the dealer shall announce these before the deal. See hand rankings.

Example

Using one line at a time

Cross: West 3♣, North K♦, East 4♠, South K♥, Centre 7♥.

A player holds A♥2♦5♣9♠K♠.

With the vertical line, K♠A♥9♠ from hand plus K♦K♥ make three kings.

With the horizontal line, A♥2♦5♣ from hand plus 3♣4♠ make 5♣4♠3♣2♦A♥, a five-high straight, which beats three kings for high, and also a 5-4-3-2-A for low.

The player may not take the two kings from the vertical line and the three and four from the horizontal line together.

Article 4Variations

4.1

Three-card Flaming Cross. Each player is dealt three cards instead of five. The Centre card is wild, together with every card of its rank, and the pot goes to the highest hand only.

4.2

In the three-card version five of a kind is possible. By the usual convention it ranks above a straight flush.

Article 5Frequently asked questions

How does betting work in Flaming Cross?

Each cross card has a cost to stay in: 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 chips for West, North, East, South and Centre. A player may raise by paying double, and every raise doubles all later costs.

How many of your own cards must you use in Flaming Cross?

At least two. You may add up to three cards from one line of the cross, either North-Centre-South or West-Centre-East.

Can you use both lines of the cross?

Not for the same hand. A player declaring both ways may use one line for high and the other for low.

§
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.

Flaming Cross Rules · OPR-529 · officialpokerrules.com/flaming-cross/

OPR-529Uncontrolled when printed