Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-706 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Roll Your Own Rules

Roll Your Own is a form of seven-card stud in which every card is dealt face down and each player decides which of their cards to turn face up. Players end with four exposed cards and three hidden ones, and the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.

Players: 2 to 7
Type: Stud
Cards per player: 7 (4 up, 3 down)
Wild cards: None as standard
Pot: High only (high-low is a common variation)

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck with no jokers. There are no wild cards unless the dealer announces them before the deal.

1.2

Between two and seven players may take part. With seven cards per player, seven is the most a single deck can serve.

1.3

Each player receives seven cards and makes the best five-card hand from them. Hands rank according to the standard poker hand rankings.

1.4

The feature that defines the game is rolling: rather than the dealer deciding which cards are dealt face up, each player chooses which of their face-down cards to expose.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Before the deal, each player pays an agreed ante into the pot.

2.2

The dealer deals three cards face down to each player, one at a time, clockwise from the dealer's left.

2.3

Every later card except the seventh is also dealt face down. The seventh card is dealt face down and is not rolled.

Article 3Rolling and betting

The hand has five betting rounds. Before each of the first four, every active player turns one face-down card face up.

Round	Before the betting	Cards held after the roll
1	Three cards dealt face down; each player rolls one	1 up, 2 down
2	A fourth card dealt face down; each player rolls one hidden card	2 up, 2 down
3	A fifth card dealt face down; each player rolls one hidden card	3 up, 2 down
4	A sixth card dealt face down; each player rolls one hidden card	4 up, 2 down
5	A seventh card dealt face down; no roll	4 up, 3 down

3.1

When rolling, a player may turn up any one of their face-down cards, including the card just dealt.

3.2

Rolls shall be made in one of two ways, which the dealer shall announce before the deal:

3.2(a) Simultaneously. Each player selects a card and, on the dealer's signal, all players turn their chosen cards face up at the same moment. This is the more common method.

3.2(b) In turn. Players roll one at a time, starting with the player to the dealer's left or, once cards are showing, the player with the best exposed hand. Later players therefore see earlier rolls before choosing.

3.3

The sources do not fix who bets first. The usual practice, as in seven-card stud, is that the player with the best exposed cards acts first on each round. Some groups instead start each round from the dealer's left. The dealer shall announce the method.

3.4

Betting on each round follows the usual rules: check, bet, call, raise or fold, until all active players have put in the same amount.

Article 4Showdown

4.1

After the fifth betting round, the remaining players show their three hidden cards. Each player makes the best five-card hand from their seven cards.

4.2

The highest hand wins the pot. Identical hands split the pot equally.

4.3

If all but one player folds at any point, the remaining player wins the pot without showing.

Example

A full house kept out of sight

At showdown a player shows K♥9♣4♦2♠ face up. Their hidden cards are 9♠9♦K♣.

Their best five cards are 9-9-9-K-K, nines full of kings. By rolling the low cards and keeping the pair of nines and the second king hidden, they showed only king-high to the table.

Article 5Common variations

High-low. The pot is split between the best high hand and the best low hand, as in Stud Hi-Lo. The dealer shall announce any qualifier and the declaration method.
Wild cards. The rules of Chicago or Baseball may be applied. Adding wild cards to Roll Your Own gives the game often called Shifting Sands.
Five-card version. The same rolling idea applied to five-card stud: see Five-Card Roll Your Own and Mexican Stud.
Related games. Dakota, Mississippi Mud, Psycho and Pick a Partner all build on the rolling mechanic.

Article 6Strategy notes

Since you choose what the table sees, a pair can be kept hidden while low, unrelated cards are shown.
Opponents also choose their exposures, so a weak-looking board tells you less than it would in ordinary stud.
When rolling in turn, acting late is an advantage because you see other players' rolls first.

Article 7Frequently asked questions

How many cards do you get in Roll Your Own?

Seven. Four end up face up, chosen by you, and three stay face down. You make the best five-card hand from all seven.

Can you roll the card you were just dealt?

Yes. When it is time to roll, you may turn up any of your face-down cards, including the newest one. The seventh card is the exception: it stays face down.

Are there wild cards in Roll Your Own?

Not in the standard game. The dealer may announce wild cards before the deal, and the wild version is often called Shifting Sands.

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.

Roll Your Own Rules · OPR-706 · officialpokerrules.com/roll-your-own/

OPR-706Uncontrolled when printed