Rochester Poker Rules

Rochester Poker was devised by Mark Brown, as published on his games website and listed on pagat.com. Its name comes from Rochester drafting, a format in the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering in which players take one card from a pack and pass the rest along.

Up to ten players may take part, using a single 52-card deck with no jokers. There are no wild cards, and hands rank according to the standard poker hand rankings.

The object is to hold the best five-card hand after the last pass, or to win the pot earlier by making a bet no one calls.

Each player antes a set amount. The source notes that the forced-bet arrangements of Texas Hold'em may be used instead if the players prefer.

Each player is dealt five cards face down.

A betting round follows the deal. Players may fold during it, as in any betting round.

After each hand, the deal passes to the left.

After the first betting round, each active player keeps one card, their hold card, and passes the other four face down to the player on their left.

Each player combines the four cards received with their hold card, and a betting round follows.

Each player then passes three cards to the left and a betting round follows; then two cards, followed by a betting round; then one card, followed by the final betting round.

At each pass after the first, a player may pass any cards they choose from the five they hold. A card kept at an earlier pass is not protected and may be passed on.

Players who have folded are skipped. Cards are passed to the next active player on the left.

If two or more players remain after the final betting round, the hands are shown and the best five-card hand wins the pot.

Identical hands split the pot.

Rochester Stud. Every card a player keeps is locked in. At each pass, the player chooses one card from those just received to add to their kept cards, and passes all the others. A player therefore keeps one card after the deal, two after the first pass, three after the second and four after the third, and receives a fifth card at the last pass.

Fewer cards passed. The first pass may be reduced to three cards (keeping two), or to two cards (keeping three). The dealer shall announce the passing sequence before the deal.