Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-579 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Texas Dozen Rules

Texas Dozen is played like Texas Hold'em, but the community cards are a 5x5 grid of twenty-five cards. Each row, column and diagonal is a possible five-card board, giving each player twelve boards to combine with their two hole cards. The grid is revealed in a flop, turn and river, and at the showdown each player names the one line they are using. Devised by Alan Kross-Vinson, as published on pagat.com.

Players: 2 to 13
Hole cards: 2 per player
Community cards: 25 in a 5x5 grid
Boards: 12 (5 rows, 5 columns, 2 diagonals)
Betting rounds: 4

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

Texas Dozen was contributed to pagat.com by Alan Kross-Vinson as a variation of King's Pot. It is for two to thirteen players with a standard 52-card deck.

1.2

The game follows the rules of Texas Hold'em except as set out on this page.

1.3

The community cards form a grid of five rows and five columns. Each row, each column and each of the two diagonals is a line of five cards, making twelve lines in all.

1.4

A player's hand is formed from their two hole cards and the five cards of one line, as a player's hand in Hold'em is formed from two hole cards and a five-card board. Cards from different lines may not be combined.

Article 2The deal

2.1

Forced bets are posted as in Hold'em, or as the group agrees.

2.2

The dealer deals twenty-five cards face down in a 5x5 grid, and two hole cards face down to each player.

Figure 2.1The five-by-five grid, with each card marked by the street on which it is turned; every row, column and diagonal gains three cards on the flop, one on the turn and one on the river.

2.3

There is then a first round of betting, before any grid card is turned.

Article 3The flop, turn and river

The grid is revealed in three stages. In the grid below, F marks a flop card, T a turn card and R a river card. With each stage, every line gains cards: three on the flop, one on the turn and the last one on the river.

Texas Dozen: which grid cards are turned on each street
	Col 1	Col 2	Col 3	Col 4	Col 5
Row 1	F	T	F	R	F
Row 2	F	R	F	F	T
Row 3	F	F	T	F	R
Row 4	T	F	R	F	F
Row 5	R	F	F	T	F

Round	Cards turned	Then
Pre-flop	None	Betting round
Flop	15 cards (three in every line)	Betting round
Turn	5 cards (a fourth in every line)	Betting round
River	The last 5 cards	Final betting round, then showdown

3.1

Players do not need to commit to any line during the betting.

3.2

Betting on each round follows the Hold'em order and structure the group uses.

Article 4Showdown

4.1

At the showdown, each player declares which one of the twelve lines they are using and shows their hole cards. The best hand wins the pot.

4.2

Two players may use the same line. Ties are settled as in Hold'em, and identical hands split the pot.

Example

Choosing the best line

Row 1 is 9♥10♥J♥2♣3♦. Column 2, which crosses row 1 at the 10♥, is 10♥A♣4♠4♦K♣.

Player A holds A♠A♦ and declares column 2: A-A-A-4-4, a full house, aces full of fours.

Player B holds 7♥8♥ and declares row 1: 7-8-9-10-J of hearts, a straight flush.

A straight flush beats a full house, so Player B wins the pot.

Article 5Strategy notes

With twelve boards to choose from, the winning hand is usually much stronger than in ordinary Hold'em, so hands that are only moderate in Hold'em lose much of their value. Because the lines share cards, one grid card can help several lines at once. Players should compare every line against their hole cards before declaring.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

How many boards are there in Texas Dozen?

Twelve: the five rows, the five columns and the two diagonals of the 5x5 grid.

Do you have to pick your line before the showdown?

No. You can keep all twelve lines in mind during the betting, and you declare the one you are using at the showdown.

Can you use cards from two different lines?

No. Your hand is your two hole cards plus the five cards of one line.

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.

Texas Dozen Rules · OPR-579 · officialpokerrules.com/texas-dozen/

OPR-579Uncontrolled when printed