Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-564 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Russian Roulette Rules

Russian Roulette is a community-card mechanism in which the board is laid out face down in a circle and a marker called the Trigger points at one card. Only the cards starting at the Trigger and running clockwise are active. Every bet or raise moves the Trigger one place, so players can change which community cards count by how they bet.

Players: 2 or more
Suggested set-up: 2 hole cards; 5-card circle, 3 active
Community cards: Laid in a circle, face down
Special rule: Each bet or raise moves the Trigger
Pot: High only

Article 1Players, layout and objective

1.1

Russian Roulette was contributed by Patrick St-Louis, as published on pagat.com. It is a mechanism that can be added to most community-card games rather than a single fixed game. A standard 52-card deck is used.

1.2

In an (m, n) Russian Roulette game, n community cards are laid face down in a circle and m of them are active at any moment. The number of hole cards is set by the base game being played.

1.3

An object called the Trigger, such as a coin or lighter, is placed on or pointed at one card of the circle.

1.4

The active community is the m cards starting with the card at the Trigger and continuing clockwise. At the showdown, each player makes the best five-card hand from their hole cards and the active community cards only. Inactive cards do not count.

1.5

The recommended starting form is (3, 5) Russian Roulette with two hole cards: each player's hand is made from two hole cards and three active cards, with two community cards inactive.

Article 2The deal and revealing cards

2.1

Antes or blinds follow the base game. Each player is dealt their hole cards, the n community cards are placed face down in a circle, and the Trigger is set on one of them.

2.2

The first betting round is based on the hole cards alone, with every community card face down.

2.3

After each betting round, one or more community cards are turned up, followed by another betting round, until all the community cards are face up and a final betting round has been played. In the (3, 5) game, one card is turned up after each round, giving six betting rounds.

2.4

When a card is to be turned up:

2.4(a) if the Trigger is on a face-down card, that card is turned up;

2.4(b) if the card at the Trigger is already face up, the first face-down card clockwise from the Trigger is turned up.

Article 3Moving the Trigger

3.1

Each time a player bets or raises, the Trigger moves one position clockwise around the circle, whether the next card is face up or face down.

3.2

Checking, calling and folding do not move the Trigger.

3.3

The Trigger's position when the final betting round ends fixes the active community for the showdown.

Action	Trigger moves
Bet	One place clockwise
Raise	One place clockwise
Check, call or fold	Does not move

Example

One raise changes the active cards

A (3, 5) circle, all face up by the last round, reads clockwise from position 1: 7♥K♠K♦2♣9♠.

With the Trigger at position 2, the active cards are K♠K♦2♣. A player holding K♥Q♥ has three kings.

If an opponent now bets, the Trigger moves to position 3 and the active cards become K♦2♣9♠. The same player now has only a pair of kings, with a queen, nine and two.

Article 4Showdown

4.1

After the final betting round, the remaining players show their hole cards. Each uses their hole cards with the active community cards, and the best five-card hand wins. See hand rankings.

4.2

Equal hands split the pot.

Article 5Set-up choices and variations

5.1

An odd number of community cards is recommended. With an even number, two players whose hands are good and bad on alternating positions can be locked into raising back and forth without end.

5.2

With a larger circle, more than one card may be turned up at a time, so that there are about four betting rounds in all.

5.3

Another option is to turn up several cards at spaced positions before the first round, for example every third card of a nine-card circle, to give players early information.

The pot can grow quickly, because players bet and raise partly to move the Trigger to a position that suits them. Groups may wish to use a raise cap.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

What moves the Trigger in Russian Roulette poker?

Only bets and raises. Each one moves the Trigger one card clockwise. Checks, calls and folds leave it where it is.

Which community cards count in Russian Roulette?

Only the active cards: the card at the Trigger and the next ones clockwise, up to the agreed number. In the (3, 5) game that is three of the five community cards.

Why should the circle have an odd number of cards?

With an even number, two players can each prefer alternate positions and keep raising to move the Trigger back to their side. An odd number avoids that deadlock.

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.

Russian Roulette Rules · OPR-564 · officialpokerrules.com/russian-roulette/

OPR-564Uncontrolled when printed