Four Up, Four Down Rules

Four Up, Four Down was contributed to pagat.com by Robert Dier, who has played it since 1972. It is also known as Respect the Four.

The game uses a standard 52-card deck. Each player can receive eight cards, so up to six players can take part.

Each surviving player makes the best five-card hand from their eight cards. The highest hand wins the pot.

Five of a kind is possible when a player holds wild fours. It ranks above a straight flush. See hand rankings.

Each player is dealt four cards face down, followed by a betting round.

Each surviving player is then dealt one card face up, followed by a betting round. This is repeated until each surviving player has four cards up and four down.

The source does not say who opens each betting round. The usual practice in stud games is the player to the dealer's left on the first round and the best hand showing on later rounds.

Any four dealt face down among a player's first four cards is wild for that player.

A player who is dealt a four face up is knocked out at once and must fold. Their chips already in the pot stay there.

After the fifth betting round, the surviving players show their hands. The best five-card hand wins the pot.