Italian Poker Rules

The object of the game is to win the pot, either with the best hand at showdown under the ranking in Article 6, or by making a bet that no other player calls.

The deck is stripped according to the number of players. The lowest rank used is found by subtracting the number of players from 11:

Play and the deal pass clockwise. The deal passes one place to the left after each hand.

The amount of the ante (the invito), the minimum and maximum bets, and any limit on the number of raises shall be agreed before play.

Before the deal, every player places the agreed ante in the pot.

Before the cards are dealt, or at least before anyone has looked at them, the player to the dealer's left may choose to open blind, known as fare il buio or aprire in buio. The blind bet is equal to the amount in the pot.

If there is a buio, the next player to the left may place a controbuio of twice the buio. If there is a controbuio, the next player may place a contro-controbuio, also called an over, of twice the controbuio, that is four times the original blind.

After a blind bet, the first betting round begins with the player to the left of the last blind bettor. Each player in turn may only call the last blind bet or fold; no one may raise until the last blind bettor has acted again. Earlier blind bettors who wish to stay in must make up their bets to the last blind bet.

When the action returns to the last blind bettor, they may end the betting round, or raise and start a normal betting round. If everyone else folds, the last blind bettor wins the pot.

A blind bettor who is called must play the hand whatever cards they are dealt. The advantage of the blind is that it gives the last blind bettor the final say in the first betting round.

The dealer deals five cards face down to each player, one at a time, starting with the player to the dealer's left.

If there was no blind bet, the player to the dealer's left acts first. Until someone opens, each player may pass (passo) or open (apro). A player may pass even with a hand that qualifies to open.

To open, a player must hold either:

3.3(a) a pair of jacks or any better combination; or

3.3(b) four consecutive cards of the same suit, not including the ace, so that a card at either end would make a straight flush.

If every player passes, the cards are thrown in, the pot stays, everyone antes again and the next dealer deals. On the next deal the pair needed to open rises to queens or better; if all pass again, to kings or better; after a third passed deal it returns to jacks. The four-card straight flush option in 3.3(b) is unchanged.

Once the pot is opened, each later player may fold (passo), call (vedo) or raise (rilancio). No particular hand is needed to call or raise.

If all but one player folds, that player wins the pot without showing. Otherwise the round ends when all remaining players have put in equal amounts, and play moves to the draw.

Starting with the nearest active player to the dealer's left, each player in turn states how many cards they want to exchange, from none to four, discards that many face down and receives the same number of replacements.

A player who exchanges four cards receives only three at first. Their fourth card is dealt after every other player has been served.

If the deck runs out, the discards are shuffled and used to complete the draw.

The opener may discard some or all of the combination that qualified them to open. They must announce that they are doing so, and the dealer shall keep that player's discards apart so that the opening hand can be proved if required.

The second betting round is begun by the last player who raised in the first round or, if there was no raise, by the opener or the last blind bettor.

Until someone bets, each player in turn has three options:

5.2(a) Bet (punto): put a further bet in the pot.

5.2(b) Check (busso): continue without betting. Once any player has checked, parol is no longer available.

5.2(c) Parol: propose that the hand be abandoned without a showdown and the pot carried forward.

After a bet, the other players may fold, call or raise, as in the first round.

The round ends in one of four ways:

5.4(a) Every player says parol. The cards are thrown in and the pot carries forward to a new deal by the next dealer (see 5.5).

5.4(b) Every player checks. There is an immediate showdown.

5.4(c) All but one player fold. The survivor takes the pot.

5.4(d) The last bet or raise is called. There is a showdown between the remaining players.

On the deal after a parol, every player who wants to take part but had folded in the first round of the abandoned hand must first make their contribution equal to that of the players who stayed for the draw. Everyone also antes again. To open, a player needs a pair of kings or better, or the four-card straight flush holding in 3.3(b), and no blind bets are allowed.

An ace may count high or low in straights and straight flushes. When it counts low it sits next to the lowest rank in the deck being used. With five players, for example, A-6-7-8-9 is a straight and is the lowest straight.

Compare the standard order on the hand rankings page, in which a full house beats a flush.

Straight flushes are divided into three kinds:

7.1(a) The minimum: the lowest straight flush possible with the deck in use, with the ace counting low (for example A-7-8-9-10 of one suit with four players).

7.1(b) The maximum: 10-J-Q-K-A of one suit.

7.1(c) The medium: every other straight flush.

A maximum beats a medium, and a medium beats a minimum, but a minimum beats a maximum. Between two medium straight flushes, the one with higher cards wins. No hand is therefore certain to win. If one minimum, one medium and one maximum meet in the same showdown, the pot is split between the three.

The minimum-beats-maximum rule applies only to straight flushes. Among ordinary straights, the ace-low straight is simply the lowest.

Suits are ranked: hearts (highest), diamonds, clubs, spades (lowest). Suits break ties between hands that would be equal in standard poker:

7.4(a) Between equal flushes or equal straight flushes, the higher suit wins.

7.4(b) Between equal straights, the suit of the highest card decides.

7.4(c) Between equal two-pair hands with the same kicker, the hand whose higher pair includes the heart wins. Between equal one-pair hands with the same kickers, the hand whose pair includes the heart wins.

7.4(d) Between equal high-card hands, the suit of the highest card decides.