Monterey Poker Rules

Monterey Poker is played by four to seven players with a standard 52-card deck. It is a variant of Seven Card Stud.

Each player's seventh card is dealt face down and is wild for that player only. Every other card in the same player's hand, face up or face down, of the same rank as the seventh card is also wild.

Wild cards are not known until the last card, so every player has at least one wild card at showdown. Five of a kind is possible. Unless the dealer announces otherwise, five of a kind is the highest hand, above a straight flush. See hand rankings.

Each player antes. The dealer then deals three cards face down to each player.

After the first betting round, each player chooses one of their three down cards and turns it face up.

The streets and betting rounds are as follows:

After the seventh card, each player holds two concealed cards from the first three, four face-up cards and the wild seventh card.

The source does not name the first bettor on the opening round. The dealer shall announce it before the deal. Betting on this round is often light, since no wild cards are yet known.

After the final betting round, each remaining player makes the best five-card hand from their seven cards, using their wild cards as they choose. The best hand wins the pot.

Under the source's convention, the hand a player declares at showdown is the hand they play, even if they hold something better. Many home games instead apply the rule that the cards speak. The dealer shall announce which applies.