Mississippi Mud Rules

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck with no jokers and no wild cards. It suits five to seven players; since each player is dealt seven cards, seven is the maximum.

Each player's hand is exactly five cards, chosen by the player from the seven dealt.

The pot is split between the best high hand, ranked by the standard hand rankings, and the best low hand, ranked ace-to-five (aces low; straights and flushes do not count). See ace-to-five lowball.

The game is credited on pagat.com to Jim Ward.

Each player pays an agreed ante. The dealer then deals seven cards face down to each player.

Each player looks at their cards and discards two face down, keeping five. The discards take no further part in the hand.

Each player then chooses one of their five cards and turns it face up.

Each player chooses which of their face-down cards to expose. The dealer shall announce whether cards are exposed simultaneously or in turn.

On the first round, the player with the highest card showing opens the betting. The sources do not specify later rounds; the usual practice is that the best exposed hand acts first.

After the fourth betting round, and before the last card is turned, every remaining player declares high or low. The dealer shall announce whether declarations are made simultaneously, such as with chips hidden in the hand, or in turn.

Each player then turns up their last card. The best high hand among those who declared high wins half the pot, and the best low hand among those who declared low wins the other half.

If every remaining player declares the same way, the best hand of that kind wins the whole pot.