Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-549 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Off-Road Stud Rules

In Off-Road Stud, sixteen community cards are laid out in a 4x4 grid, twelve face up and four face down. Each row, column and diagonal is a four-card line, and each player combines their three hole cards with the one line that gives them the best hand. There are three betting rounds, and at the showdown each player declares which line they are using. Devised by Alan Kross-Vinson, as published on pagat.com.

Players: 2 to 12
Hole cards: 3 per player
Community cards: 16 in a 4x4 grid (12 face up)
Lines: 10 (4 rows, 4 columns, 2 diagonals)
Betting rounds: 3

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

Off-Road Stud was contributed to pagat.com by Alan Kross-Vinson as a variation of King's Pot. It is for two to twelve players with a standard 52-card deck. With twelve players, the whole deck is used.

1.2

Sixteen community cards are laid out in four rows and four columns. Each row, each column and each of the two diagonals is a line of four cards, making ten lines in all.

1.3

A player's hand is formed from their three hole cards and the four cards of one line, and ranks according to the standard poker hand rankings. Cards from different lines may not be combined.

1.3(a) The source does not spell out how many of these seven cards are used. The natural reading, and the usual practice, is the best five-card hand from the seven.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Before the deal, each player puts in the ante agreed for the game, or the group's usual forced bets are posted.

2.2

The dealer lays out the sixteen-card grid. Twelve cards are dealt face up and four face down, one face-down card in each row and each column, positioned as below.

Off-Road Stud: face-up and face-down grid cards
	Col 1	Col 2	Col 3	Col 4
Row 1	Down	Up	Up	Up
Row 2	Up	Up	Up	Down
Row 3	Up	Down	Up	Up
Row 4	Up	Up	Down	Up

Figure 2.1The sixteen-card grid, with twelve cards face up and four face down, placed so that every row, column and diagonal contains exactly one face-down card.

2.3

Every line, including both diagonals, has exactly one face-down card.

2.4

The dealer then deals two hole cards face down to each player.

Article 3Betting rounds

Round	Cards	Then
1	12 grid cards face up; two hole cards each	Betting round
2	A third hole card to each player	Betting round
3	The four face-down grid cards are turned	Final betting round, then showdown

3.1

After the two hole cards are dealt, there is the first round of betting.

3.2

Each player still in receives a third hole card face down, followed by a second round of betting.

3.3

The four face-down grid cards are then turned up, and there is a third and final round of betting.

3.4

Players do not need to commit to any line during the betting. Betting follows the group's usual order and structure.

Article 4Showdown

4.1

At the showdown, each player declares which one of the ten lines they are using and shows their hole cards. The best hand wins the pot. Identical hands split the pot.

Example

The best line is not always the obvious one

The grid after all cards are turned (the first card of row 1, the last of row 2, the second of row 3 and the third of row 4 were the face-down cards):

Row 1: 2♣9♥9♠4♦
Row 2: K♥Q♦J♥10♣
Row 3: 5♣6♠7♦3♠
Row 4: A♦8♣4♥9♣

Player A holds A♥2♦2♠. Row 2 gives A an ace-high straight, but column 1 (2♣K♥5♣A♦) gives 2-2-2-A-A, a full house. A declares column 1.

Player B holds 9♦K♣3♣. Row 2 gives B 9-10-J-Q-K, a king-high straight, which is B's best line. Row 1 would give only three nines.

A full house beats a straight, so Player A wins the pot.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

How many lines are there in Off-Road Stud?

Ten: the four rows, the four columns and the two diagonals of the 4x4 grid.

How many hole cards do you get in Off-Road Stud?

Three. Two are dealt before the first betting round and the third before the second round.

Do you have to choose your line before the showdown?

No. You declare which line you are using only at the showdown.

Final authority

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.

Off-Road Stud Rules · OPR-549 · officialpokerrules.com/off-road-stud/

OPR-549Uncontrolled when printed