Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-700 · Updated 28 September 2026

Home game · Stud

Pick a Partner Rules

Pick a Partner is a roll-your-own stud game for an even number of players. After everyone turns up one card, players choose partners, and each partnership makes one five-card hand from the two first up cards plus any three of the partners' other cards. Partners bet separately, and the winning team splits the pot.

Players: Even number, 4 to 10
Type: Stud (roll your own), partnerships
Cards per player: 5
Wild cards: None
Pot: High only, shared by the winning partners

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck with no jokers and no wild cards. There must be an even number of players, at least four. With five cards each, ten is the most one deck can serve.

1.2

Players play in partnerships of two, chosen during the hand. Each partnership competes with one five-card hand, ranked by the standard hand rankings.

1.3

Although partners share a hand, each partner makes their own betting decisions with their own chips.

Article 2Antes, the deal and choosing partners

2.1

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

2.2

All players simultaneously turn one of their cards face up.

2.3

The player whose up card is highest chooses a partner from the other players. The highest-showing player not yet in a partnership then chooses a partner, and so on until everyone is paired.

2.4

The sources do not say how ties between equal up cards are broken. The dealer shall announce a method before the deal.

2.5

The sources also do not say whether partners may show each other their hidden cards or discuss the hand. The dealer shall announce the house rule before the deal.

Article 3Rolling and betting

There are four betting rounds: one after the partners are chosen, and one after each of three further rolls.

Round	Before the betting	Each player holds
1	First card turned up; partners chosen	1 up, 4 down
2	Each player turns up a second card	2 up, 3 down
3	Each player turns up a third card	3 up, 2 down
4	Each player turns up a fourth card	4 up, 1 down

3.1

No further cards are dealt after the first five. On each roll, every active player chooses one of their own face-down cards to turn up.

3.2

Each player bets individually. A player may fold even if their partner stays in.

Article 4The partnership hand and showdown

4.1

Each partnership's hand consists of the two cards the partners turned up first, plus any three of the partners' other eight cards.

4.2

The partnership with the highest hand wins. The two partners share the pot equally.

4.3

If one partner has folded and the partnership wins, the partner who stayed in takes the whole pot. The sources do not say whether a folded partner's cards still count toward the team hand; the dealer shall announce the house rule before the deal.

Example

Building a team hand

Partner 1's first up card is K♥ and their other cards are Q♥J♥4♣9♠. Partner 2's first up card is 10♥ and their other cards are 2♥3♦3♠7♣.

The team must use K♥10♥ and may add any three of the other eight cards. Adding Q♥J♥9♠ gives a king-high straight, but adding Q♥J♥2♥ gives a king-high heart flush, which is better. The team's hand is the flush.

Article 5Notes

Choosing first is an advantage: the highest card showing picks the up card that best fits their own.
Since both first up cards must be used, a partner whose first card matches your own, by rank or suit, is usually the stronger choice.
The rolling mechanic comes from Roll Your Own, and other partnership or shared-hand ideas appear across home poker games.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

How do you choose partners in Pick a Partner?

Everyone turns up one card at the same time. The highest card chooses a partner first, then the highest card among the remaining players, and so on until everyone is paired.

What happens if my partner folds in Pick a Partner?

You can play on alone. If your partnership wins, you take the whole pot instead of sharing it. Whether your partner's cards still count toward the team hand is a house rule the dealer should announce before the deal.

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.

Pick a Partner Rules · OPR-700 · officialpokerrules.com/pick-a-partner/

OPR-700Uncontrolled when printed