Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-642 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Outhouse Poker Rules

In Outhouse, every bet is split equally between a main pot and a side pot. Over three rounds, players are dealt cards face down and expose their best two cards, and the best two-card hand wins the side pot each time. The five cards each player has left at the end decide the main pot. Flushes do not count unless they are straight flushes.

Also known as Outhouse

Players: Up to 7
Type: Other
Wild cards: None
Pots: Three side pots and one main pot
Flushes: Do not count, except straight flushes

Article 1Players, deck and the two pots

1.1

Outhouse is played by up to seven players with a standard 52-card deck and no wild cards.

1.2

There are two pots in play: the main pot, awarded at the end of the hand for the best five-card hand, and the side pot, awarded at the end of each of three rounds for the best two-card hand.

1.3

Every bet is divided equally, with half going into the main pot and half into the side pot.

1.4

Flushes do not count. An ordinary flush has no value as a flush and is ranked by its cards as a high-card, pair or other hand. A straight flush still counts as a straight flush.

1.5

The source does not say which pot the antes go into. The dealer shall announce this before the deal.

Article 2The deal and the three rounds

2.1

Each player antes. The dealer then deals five cards face down to each player, one at a time. There is a betting round after each player has received their third card, their fourth card and their fifth card.

2.2

First side pot. Each player chooses two of their five cards and exposes them. The best two-card hand wins the side pot. The exposed cards are then returned to the deck, and the deck is shuffled again.

2.3

Second side pot. The dealer deals each player three more cards face down, with a betting round after each card. Each player now holds six cards. Each player again exposes two cards, and the best two-card hand wins the side pot.

2.4

Third side pot. The dealer deals each player three more cards face down, with a betting round after each card. Each player again exposes two cards, and the best two-card hand wins the side pot.

2.5

Main pot. Each player now has five cards left. These are exposed, and the best five-card hand wins the main pot.

Round	Cards received	Cards held before exposing	Result
First	5	5	Expose two; best pair or high cards wins the first side pot
Second	3	6	Expose two; wins the second side pot
Third	3	7	Expose two; wins the third side pot
Final	None	5	Best five-card hand wins the main pot

2.6

The source does not say who opens each betting round. The usual practice is to begin with the first active player to the dealer's left.

Article 3Two-card hands and showdowns

3.1

The source does not define two-card rankings. The usual practice is that a pair beats any two unpaired cards, higher pairs beat lower pairs, and unpaired hands are compared by the higher card and then the lower, with no two-card straights or flushes. The dealer shall announce any different rule before the deal.

3.2

The side pot is emptied each time it is won, and bets in the next round build a new side pot. The main pot grows throughout the hand, so it is normally the larger.

3.3

Because the cards exposed for a side pot are removed from the player's hand, a player must balance winning the side pot against keeping good cards for the main pot.

Example

A flush that does not count

At the end of the hand, Player A's five remaining cards are 2♥7♥9♥J♥K♥. Player B's are 3♣3♦8♠10♣Q♦.

A's cards are all hearts, but an ordinary flush does not count, so A holds only king-high. B holds a pair of threes. Player B wins the main pot.

Example

Choosing what to expose

After the third round, a player holds A♠A♦K♣K♥6♠6♦4♣.

Exposing the pair of aces gives the strongest two-card hand for the side pot, and leaves K-K-6-6-4, two pair, for the main pot. Exposing the sixes instead would keep A-A-K-K-4, a stronger two pair for the main pot, but weaken the side-pot hand. The player decides which pot matters more.

Article 4Strategy notes

Pairs are the key currency: they win side pots and build the main-pot hand, so a player must decide where to spend them.
Straights and full houses built from the final five cards win main pots; flushes do not.
The side pot resets each round, so a strong two-card hand late in the hand may win less than the same hand earlier.

For other home games with several pots or unusual rankings, see the home poker games list.

Article 5Frequently asked questions

Do flushes count in Outhouse poker?

No. Ordinary flushes have no value as flushes. Only a straight flush counts.

How many pots are there in Outhouse?

Four are won in each hand: three side pots, each for the best two-card hand, and the main pot for the best five-card hand. Every bet is split equally between the main pot and the current side pot.

What happens to the cards you expose in Outhouse?

They leave your hand. After the first round, they are returned to the deck and it is reshuffled.

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.

Outhouse Poker Rules · OPR-642 · officialpokerrules.com/outhouse-poker/

OPR-642Uncontrolled when printed