Sex in the Middle East Rules

Sex in the Middle East is seven-card stud with fives wild. Whenever a five is dealt face up, the rank of the next card dealt also becomes wild for everyone, for the rest of the hand. Wild ranks build up as the hand goes on, and the best high hand wins.

Players: 2 to 8
Type: Stud
Wild cards: Fives, plus the rank after each face-up five
Pot: High only

Article 1Players, deck and wild cards

1.1

Sex in the Middle East is a variant of seven-card stud contributed to pagat.com by Ian Blessing. It uses a standard 52-card deck.

1.2

All fives are wild throughout the hand.

1.3

Whenever a five is dealt face up, the next card dealt after it determines an additional wild rank. Every card of that rank is wild for all players until the end of the hand.

1.4

Wild ranks accumulate. A later face-up five adds another wild rank; it does not cancel earlier ones. Up to five ranks can be wild by the end of the hand: the fives themselves and one rank for each face-up five.

1.5

Five of a kind is possible. By the usual convention it ranks above a straight flush. See hand rankings.

1.6

The source does not say what happens if the card after a face-up five is itself a five, or is dealt face down. The dealer shall announce the ruling before the deal.

Article 2Antes, the deal and betting

2.1

Antes and betting limits are set by the house or the dealer. Apart from the wild cards, the game is dealt and bet exactly as seven-card stud, with a betting round after each card.

Street	Cards dealt	Betting
Third street	2 face down, 1 face up	First round
Fourth street	1 face up	Second round
Fifth street	1 face up	Third round
Sixth street	1 face up	Fourth round
Seventh street	1 face down	Final round

Example

A five creates a new wild rank

On third street the face-up cards are dealt in order: Player A Q♣, Player B 5♥, Player C 2♦.

B's five is face up, so the next card, C's two, makes all twos wild. From now on, fives and twos are wild for everyone.

On fifth street Player A is dealt the 5♠ face up, and the next card dealt is Player B's J♥. Jacks join the wild ranks, so fives, twos and jacks are all wild.

Article 3Showdown

3.1

After the final betting round, the remaining players show their hands. Each player uses every card of a wild rank as they wish, and the best five-card high hand wins the pot.

Article 4Variations and strategy notes

Sex in the Middle East belongs to the same family as Follow the Queen, where the card after a face-up queen is wild. The key difference is that here wild ranks are added, never replaced.

Strategy notes:

With several wild ranks likely, a hand that is not already strong on third street often falls behind.
Any card still in your hand can become wild later, so a weak hand is not always dead until the last face-up card is dealt.
Keep track of which ranks are wild. A card of that rank anywhere on your board counts, even if it was dealt before its rank became wild.

Article 5Frequently asked questions

What is wild in Sex in the Middle East?

All fives, and the rank of the card dealt immediately after any face-up five. These extra ranks stay wild for the rest of the hand.

Does a new five cancel the old wild card?

No. Unlike Follow the Queen, the wild ranks build up. Each face-up five adds a new wild rank.

Can you get five of a kind?

Yes. With several wild ranks, five of a kind is common. By the usual convention it beats a straight flush.

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.

Sex in the Middle East Rules · OPR-713 · officialpokerrules.com/sex-in-the-middle-east/

OPR-713Uncontrolled when printed