Real Poker Rules

Real Poker was contributed by Paul Bedrosian, as published on pagat.com. It uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards. With five cards each and twelve on the board, up to eight players can take part.

The game is played high-low. The high half of the pot goes to the best high hand among players who declare high or both, and the low half goes to the best low hand among players who declare low or both.

Low hands are ranked by ace-to-six rules: the ace is low, and straights and flushes count against a low hand. The best possible low is 6-4-3-2-A in mixed suits. See hand rankings.

The source sets no qualifying limit for low, so any hand may win the low half.

Each player antes as agreed, and the dealer deals five cards face down to each player.

The dealer lays out twelve community cards face down: four pairs (groups of two cards) and four singles (single cards).

There are five betting rounds. The first takes place before any community card is turned up.

After each of the first four betting rounds, the dealer turns up one pair and one single.

After the fifth betting round, players declare (article 4).

Each hand must use at least two of the player's own cards. The permitted combinations are:

4.1(a) all five cards from the player's hand;

4.1(b) four cards from hand and one single;

4.1(c) three cards from hand and one pair;

4.1(d) two cards from hand, one pair and one single.

A pair is used as a unit: both of its cards or neither. A player may not use two pairs, or two singles, in the same hand.

A player may use different cards for their high hand and their low hand.

After the final betting round, players declare at the same moment whether they are playing for high, low or both. The declaration is made with chips: the usual method is for each player to hold a chosen number of chips hidden in a closed fist, and all fists are opened together.

A player who declares both ways must win, or tie, in both directions to take any part of the pot. If they are beaten for high by a player who declared high, or beaten for low by a player who declared low, they receive nothing.

A player who declares both ways and ties in one direction while winning the other, or ties in both, shares in the halves they tied.

The source does not say what happens to a half with no eligible declarer. The usual practice is that the whole pot goes to the players who declared the other way; the dealer shall confirm this before the deal.