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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is seven-card stud with three extra cards dealt face down to the table. As the deal goes on they are turned up one at a time: the Good makes its rank wild, the Bad forces players to discard cards of its rank, and the Ugly knocks out any player showing its rank face up. The best remaining high hand wins.
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck without jokers, by two to seven players. It follows the rules of seven-card stud except as stated on this page.
The object is to hold the best five-card hand at showdown, or to be the last player remaining.
Cards of the rank named by the Good are wild. A wild card may stand for any card, so five of a kind is possible; it ranks above a straight flush. See hand rankings.
Each player places an agreed ante. The dealer deals each player two cards face down and one face up, then deals three cards face down in a row on the table.
The three table cards are not community cards. They never form part of any player's hand; they only name ranks.
The deal then continues as in seven-card stud, with a table card turned up after each of the fourth, fifth and sixth cards, and a betting round after each stage.
| Stage | Cards dealt | Table card turned | Betting round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third street | Two down, one up | None | First |
| Fourth street | One up | The Good | Second |
| Fifth street | One up | The Bad | Third |
| Sixth street | One up | The Ugly | Fourth |
| Seventh street | One down | None | Fifth and last |
The Good. After the fourth card has been dealt to each player, the first table card is turned up. All cards of its rank are wild for every player, for the rest of the hand.
The Bad. After the fifth card, the second table card is turned up. Players must discard cards of its rank. No replacement card is dealt.
3.2(a) The published rules do not settle whether a player must also discard matching cards held face down. The dealer shall announce the rule before the deal.
The Ugly. After the sixth card, the third table card is turned up. Any player who has a face-up card of its rank must fold at once.
3.3(a) Some groups apply the Ugly to every card a player holds, face up or face down. The dealer shall announce this before the deal.
After the Ugly, each remaining player is dealt a final card face down, and the last betting round follows.
Wild eights and a narrow escape
The Good is 8♦, so eights are wild. The Bad is K♣, so kings must be discarded. The Ugly is 5♠.
Player A had K♠ face up, which was discarded when the Bad was turned. A has no five showing, so survives the Ugly. A finishes with 8♣A♦A♠7♥8♥J♣.
The two wild eights join the two aces to make four aces, with the jack as the fifth card. Player B, who had 5♣ face up, was forced to fold when the Ugly was turned.
After the final betting round, the remaining players show their hands. Each player makes the best five-card hand from the cards they still hold, with cards of the Good's rank wild.
The best hand wins the pot. Identical hands split the pot equally.
Any player showing a face-up card of the same rank as the Ugly must fold immediately. Some groups extend this to face-down cards too.
No. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly cards only name ranks. They are not shared cards and cannot be part of anyone's hand.
No. Cards of the Bad's rank are simply discarded, which can leave a player with fewer cards at showdown.
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.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Rules · OPR-722 · officialpokerrules.com/good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/