Two Thirds Rules

Two Thirds is a variation of seven-card stud contributed by Andrew Demkovich, as published on pagat.com. It uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards.

To win the pot at a showdown, a player must hold at least two of the following three thirds:

1.2(a) the best five-card high hand among the players in the showdown, under the standard hand rankings;

1.2(b) the lowest spade among all showdown players' face-down cards; and

1.2(c) the highest spade among all showdown players' face-down cards.

Only face-down cards (hole cards) count for the spades. A spade dealt face up does not count, however high or low it is.

The antes, the deal and the betting are exactly as in seven-card stud. Each player receives three cards face down and four face up over five betting rounds.

At the showdown, the hands are compared to find the best hand, and the hole cards of all players in the showdown are compared to find the lowest and highest spades.

A player who holds at least two of the three thirds wins the whole pot.

The spade need not be part of the player's best five-card hand. A player may win with, for example, a diamond flush and the lowest spade in the hole.

If only one spade is held face down among the players in the showdown, that spade is both the highest and the lowest, and its holder wins the pot.

A player holding two or more hole spades may hold both the highest and the lowest spade, and so wins without the best hand.

If no player holds two of the three thirds, no one wins and the pot rolls over to the next hand. The source does not say who may play in that hand or whether new antes are due. The dealer shall announce this before play begins.

If all other players fold before the showdown, the last player wins the pot without needing any of the thirds.

One version of Black Mariah uses a similar idea: the winner must have both the best hand and the highest spade, and otherwise the pot carries over.

The Bitch splits the pot between the high hand and the holder of the queen of spades in the hole.

A very low or very high spade in the hole is worth a great deal, since it needs only one more third to win.

Two spades in the hole, one high and one low, can win on their own if no one else holds a spade beyond them.

Holding the best hand is not enough. A strong hand with no hole spade relies on the spades being split between two other players, which means a rollover, not a win.