Seven minus Seven Rules

Seven minus Seven was contributed to pagat.com by Brian Johnson as a variation of Seven Twenty-Seven. Its rules and card values follow that game, except as stated here.

A standard 52-card deck is used. Card values are:

1.2(a) Cards from 2 to 10 count their face value.

1.2(b) Aces count 1 or 11, at the player's choice.

1.2(c) Kings, queens and jacks count ½.

Black cards (clubs and spades) count as plus values. Red cards (hearts and diamonds) count as minus values. A hand's total is the sum of its cards, and may be positive or negative.

There are two targets: black seven, a total of +7, and red seven, a total of −7. The object is to finish closest to one of them, and to declare for that side.

Each player places the agreed ante in the pot. The published rules do not set an amount, so the dealer shall announce it.

The dealer deals each player two cards: either one face up and one face down, or both face down. The dealer chooses which and shall announce it before the deal.

The first betting round is begun by the player to the dealer's left.

After each betting round, the dealer offers an extra card to each player still in the hand. Each player may take one or decline.

If at least one player takes a card, another betting round follows. Each betting round is begun by the player to the left of the one who began the previous round. So the second round begins two seats to the dealer's left, the third three seats to the left, and so on.

Rounds of offering cards and betting continue until the deck runs out or until no player takes a card.

The published rules do not say whether extra cards are dealt face up or face down, or whether a player who declines a card may take one in a later round. The dealer shall announce these points before the deal.

After the final betting round, each remaining player declares by placing a closed hand on the table holding:

4.1(a) No coin: red (low), aiming for −7.

4.1(b) One coin: black (high), aiming for +7.

4.1(c) Two coins: both. This is rarely possible.

The pot is shared between the player closest to red seven among those who declared red, and the player closest to black seven among those who declared black.

If two totals are equally far from the target, the one short of seven beats the one past it. For example, red 6 (one short) beats red 8 (one past).

Other questions, such as a player declaring both, or no one declaring one side, are settled by the usual rules for split pots with a declaration. Under the usual practice, a player who declares both must win both sides to take anything, and if no one declares one side, the other side's winner takes the whole pot.