Home game · Shared card
Vancouver Stud is a hybrid of stud and Texas Hold'em. Each player gets five cards of their own, three down and two up, while three community cards are dealt face up in the middle, one alongside each of a player's later cards. Players make the best five-card hand from their eight cards over four betting rounds. It was invented by Torey Jones, as published on pagat.com.
Vancouver Stud was invented by Torey Jones, as published on pagat.com. It combines the private up and down cards of stud with the shared board of Texas Hold'em.
The game uses a standard 52-card deck and no wild cards. Hands rank by the standard hand rankings.
Each player receives five cards of their own and shares three community cards. A single deck serves up to nine players.
Before the deal, the player to the dealer's left posts an agreed big blind, for example 2 or 4 chips. Every other player posts half that amount.
Groups may use any other system of blinds or antes they prefer, provided it is agreed before the deal.
Each player is then dealt two cards face down, and there is a first betting round.
The source does not fix who acts first on each round. The dealer shall announce the betting order before the deal.
After each betting round, every player still in the hand receives one more card of their own, and one community card is dealt face up in the middle. The community card counts toward every player's hand.
| Round | Own card to each player | Community card | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 2 face down | None | Betting |
| Second | 1 face up | 1 face up | Betting |
| Third | 1 face down | 1 face up | Betting |
| Fourth | 1 face up | 1 face up | Final betting |
After the fourth deal, each active player holds five cards of their own, three face down and two face up, and there are three community cards in the middle.
If all but one player folds at any point, that player wins the pot without showing.
After the final betting round, the remaining players show their hands. The best five-card high hand wins the pot.
A player's hand may use two, three, four or all five of their own cards, combined with any, none or all of the community cards. In practice this means any five of the player's eight available cards.
Tied hands split the pot equally.
Full house beats a flush
Community cards: K♦9♠5♥
Player A: down K♥K♣4♠, up 9♦2♣. Using K♥K♣ with the community K♦9♠ and own 9♦, A has kings full of nines.
Player B: down Q♠J♠10♠, up A♠8♦. With the community 9♠, B has an ace-high spade flush, A-Q-J-T-9.
A full house beats a flush, so Player A wins.
The blind structure is flexible (2.2). An equal ante from every player is one such alternative.
For other games that mix private stud cards with shared cards, see Spit in the Ocean and the home poker games list.
Everyone shares the three community cards, so a hand made mostly from the board is often matched or beaten. Strength in your own five cards matters more.
Two of your own cards are exposed. Watch opponents' up cards alongside the board to judge what they could hold.
Five of your own, three face down and two face up, plus three community cards shared by everyone. You make your best five-card hand from those eight.
No. You can use any, none or all of the three community cards, with the rest of your hand coming from your own five cards.
Four: one after the two hole cards, and one after each of the three later deals.
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.
Vancouver Stud Rules · OPR-585 · officialpokerrules.com/vancouver-stud/