Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-705 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Riding Ramone Rules

Riding Ramone is ace-to-five lowball played with five unseen cards that each player turns over one at a time, with betting in between. A three-card dummy hand called Ramone is dealt face down. The lowest hand wins the pot only if it also beats Ramone; if it does not, the pot stays and the remaining players play again.

Players: 2 to 9
Type: Stud lowball, no peek
Wild cards: None
Pot: Low only, must beat Ramone
Betting rounds: 4, three-raise limit

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

Riding Ramone was contributed to pagat.com by Les Stanwood. It is a five-card stud lowball game using ace-to-five ranking.

1.2

The game uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards. Aces are low, and straights and flushes do not count, so the best hand is 5-4-3-2-A, the wheel.

1.3

The object is to have the lowest hand at the showdown and also to beat Ramone, a three-card hand dealt to the middle of the table.

1.4

With five cards per player and three for Ramone, up to nine players can take part with one deck.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Antes and betting limits are set by the house or the dealer.

2.2

The dealer deals five cards face down to each player. Players must not look at their cards. A player who looks at their cards is out of the game.

2.3

The dealer then deals three cards face down to the middle of the table, as a separate hand. This hand is called the boot, or Ramone. It stays face down until the showdown.

Article 3Turning cards and betting

3.1

All players turn their first card face up at the same time, and there is a round of betting. Players then turn their next card and bet again, and so on until all five cards are face up.

3.2

The source gives four betting rounds in all. The dealer shall announce before the deal after which card, if any, there is no betting round.

3.3

Each betting round is begun by the player with the lowest hand showing. A bet may be raised at most three times in each round.

Stage	Cards showing per player
First card turned	1
Second card turned	2
Third card turned	3
Fourth card turned	4
Fifth card turned	5, all cards face up

Article 4Showdown and beating Ramone

4.1

When all cards are face up and the betting is over, the lowest hand among the remaining players is compared with Ramone, which is turned face up.

4.2

The player's hand is compared with Ramone using only the three highest cards of the player's five-card low. A hand containing a pair loses to Ramone if Ramone has no pair, because a pair is worse than any unpaired low. Ramone wins all ties.

4.3

If the lowest hand beats Ramone, that player wins the pot.

4.4

If the lowest hand does not beat Ramone, no one wins. The pot stays in the middle and the cards are dealt again, but only to the players who have not folded. Players who folded are out of the game until someone beats Ramone and collects the pot.

4.5

The source does not cover every case, such as fresh antes on a redeal or Ramone holding a pair. The dealer shall announce the house practice before the first deal.

Example

Beating Ramone, or not

Ramone is 8♠7♦2♣, counted as 8-7-2.

Player A holds 7♥5♣4♦2♠A♣. Its three highest cards are 7-5-4. That is lower than 8-7-2, so A beats Ramone and, as the lowest hand, wins the pot.

Had Ramone instead been 7♠4♣2♣, A's 7-5-4 would lose: the sevens tie, and A's 5 is higher than Ramone's 4. Nobody would win, and the players still in would be dealt a new hand for the same pot.

Article 5Variations and strategy notes

5.1

Picture cards as zero. A variation counts kings, queens and jacks as zero, as in More or Less.

Strategy notes:

Ramone has only three cards, so it is often a strong low. Even a good five-card low can fail to beat it.
Folding carries a double cost: you lose what you put in, and you are shut out of every redeal until the pot is won.
Since no one can see their cards in advance, the only information is what is already face up. Bet on the cards showing, not on hope.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

What is Ramone in poker?

Ramone is a three-card dummy hand, dealt face down in the middle of the table. The lowest player hand must beat it to win the pot, and Ramone wins ties.

What happens if nobody beats Ramone?

The pot stays, and the cards are dealt again to the players who did not fold. Players who folded sit out until someone beats Ramone.

Can you look at your cards in Riding Ramone?

No. Looking at your cards puts you out of the game. You turn them over one at a time with everyone else.

Final authority

Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.

Riding Ramone Rules · OPR-705 · officialpokerrules.com/riding-ramone/

OPR-705Uncontrolled when printed