Kryky Rules

Kryky is a shared-card game by Tim Bates, published on pagat.com. Up to seven players may take part, using a standard 52-card deck.

The object is to win the pot with the best five-card hand from the seven cards available: the player's own five cards and the two community cards.

Wild cards. A third table card, the wild card indicator, is revealed at the end. It is not part of anyone's hand, but the other three cards of its rank are wild.

Hands are ranked by the standard hand rankings. With three wild cards in play, five of a kind is possible; by the usual convention it ranks above a straight flush. The table shall confirm this before play.

Each player antes. Each player is then dealt five cards: two face up and three face down.

The dealer places three cards face down on the table. The first two, near the centre, are the community cards. The third is set to one side and is the wild card indicator.

After the deal there is a betting round, opened by the player whose two up cards make the highest exposed hand.

The first community card is turned face up, and there is a second betting round.

The draw. Each player may discard none, one or two of their own five cards and receive replacements. A discarded up card is replaced face up, and a discarded down card is replaced face down.

3.3(a) There is then a third betting round.

The second community card is turned face up, and there is a fourth betting round.

The wild card indicator is turned face up. Every other card of the same rank is wild for the rest of the hand. The indicator itself is not part of any hand; the dealer may turn it back face down afterwards so that no one mistakes it for a community card.

There is a fifth and final betting round, opened by the best exposed hand counting wild cards.

The source does not say who opens if two exposed hands tie. The usual convention in stud games, that the tied player nearest the dealer's left acts first, may be used.

If more than one player remains after the last betting round, each makes the best five-card hand from their five cards and the two community cards. The best hand wins the pot.

The game may be played high-low, with the best high hand and the best low hand splitting the pot.

The low hand may be ranked either way, as the table agrees before the deal:

5.2(a) the worst poker hand wins low, with straights and flushes counting against a hand, so 7-5-4-3-2 of mixed suits is the best low (see deuce-to-seven);

5.2(b) aces count low and straights and flushes are ignored, so A-2-3-4-5 is the best low.

The source does not say how wild cards count in low hands. The usual practice is that a wild card may be any rank, including an ace; the table shall confirm this before the deal.