Official Poker Rules
Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-314 · Updated 28 September 2026

Game rules · Draw

Stripped Deck Poker Rules

Stripped Deck Poker is Five Card Draw played with a 32-card deck that runs from sevens up to aces. Because flushes are harder to make with only eight cards per suit, a flush beats a full house. Suits are ranked to break ties, and the game is played by up to five players, mainly in southern Europe.

Also known as 32-card Poker, 32-Card Draw Poker

Players
2 to 5 (usually 4 or fewer)
Deck
32 cards, 7 to A
Type
Draw
Key change
Flush beats full house
Pot
High only

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

The object of the game is to win the pot, either by holding the best five-card hand at showdown or by making a bet that no other player calls.

1.2

The game is played with a 32-card deck: the ace, king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight and seven of each suit. The twos to sixes are removed. There are no wild cards.

1.3

At most five players may take part, and four or fewer is usual. Five players receive 25 cards on the deal, leaving only seven for the draw.

1.4

Except as set out on this page, the rules of Five Card Draw apply to antes, the deal, the draw and the betting.

Article 2Hand rankings

Two changes follow from the smaller deck.

2.1

Flush above full house. A flush ranks above a full house and below four of a kind. All other hands keep their usual order.

2.2

The low straight. When the ace is used as a low card, it ranks next to the seven. A-7-8-9-10 is therefore the lowest straight, and the lowest straight flush if all one suit. The highest straight is 10-J-Q-K-A.

RankHandExample
1Straight flushA♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠
2Four of a kind9♥9♦9♣9♠K♥
3FlushA♥Q♥10♥8♥7♥
4Full houseK♠K♦K♣8♠8♣
5StraightA♠7♦8♥9♣10♠
6Three of a kindJ♥J♦J♣A♠8♦
7Two pairsQ♥Q♠9♦9♣A♥
8One pair10♥10♠A♦Q♣8♥
9High cardA♥K♦J♣9♠8♥

Compare the standard order on the hand rankings page, and the similar change in Short Deck Hold'em.

Article 3Suit ranking and ties

3.1

Suits are ranked. The usual order, from highest to lowest, is hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades.

3.2

When two hands are otherwise equal, the tie is broken by the suit of the highest card in the scoring combination. For a pair, this is the higher-suited card of the pair; the suits of the kickers do not count.

3.3

The group may use a different suit order if agreed before play.

Article 4Antes, deal, draw and betting

StageWhat happensFirst to act
AnteEvery player antes(none)
First betting roundAfter five cards are dealtPlayer to the dealer's left
DrawEach active player may exchange cardsFirst active player to the dealer's left
Second betting roundAfter the drawThe opener
ShowdownBest hand winsLast player to bet or raise
4.1

Play follows Five Card Draw: antes, five cards each, a betting round, one draw, a second betting round and a showdown.

4.2

The dealer shall announce before the deal how many cards a player may exchange. With a 32-card deck the stock is small, and if it runs out the discards are shuffled to complete the draw.

Article 5Showdown examples

Example

A flush beats a full house

Player A holds A♥J♥9♥8♥7♥, an ace-high flush.

Player B holds K♠K♦K♣8♠8♣, kings full of eights.

In the 32-card game a flush ranks above a full house, so Player A wins.

Example

Suits break a tie

Player A holds Q♥Q♠10♣9♦8♠ and Player B holds Q♦Q♣10♥9♠8♦.

Both have a pair of queens with 10-9-8 kickers. The tie is decided by the pairs: A's pair includes the queen of hearts, the highest suit, so Player A wins. The heart in B's kickers does not count.

Article 6Variations

  • Italian Poker and Turkish Poker are four-player forms of 32-card poker with special rules of their own.
  • Choice of fourth card. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a player who exchanges four cards is dealt three face down, then one card face up and one face down. The player takes either of the last two as the fourth card. If the face-up card is taken, the face-down card is discarded unseen.

Article 7Frequently asked questions

Why does a flush beat a full house in 32-card poker?

With only eight cards in each suit, a flush is harder to make than a full house, so it ranks higher. It still ranks below four of a kind.

What is the lowest straight in Stripped Deck Poker?

A-7-8-9-10. With the twos to sixes removed, the ace plays low next to the seven.

Do suits matter in 32-card poker?

Yes, to break ties between otherwise equal hands. The usual order is hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades, and only the suit of the highest card in the scoring combination counts.

How many players can play Stripped Deck Poker?

Up to five, though four or fewer is usual, because the 32-card deck leaves few cards for the draw.

§
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.

Stripped Deck Poker Rules · OPR-314 · officialpokerrules.com/stripped-deck-poker/

OPR-314Uncontrolled when printed