Shared Card Games
This class of games includes all games in which cards are dealt up to the
table which are available for shared use by all players in forming their
final hands.
Church (aka Iron Cross)
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to variants >
- : 3-9
- : five cards down to each player,
five cards down to the table arranged in a cross.
- : As in Cincinatti, with the table
cards revealed clockwise with the center card last. Players may only use
cards from one arm of the cross to form their hands.
- : High hand
- : High/low Center card
is wild
Cincinatti
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to variants >
- : 3-9
- : five cards down to each player,
five cards down to the table.
- : One of the table cards is flipped
up, followed by a round of betting. Repeat until all five cards have been
flipped (players keep their own cards face down). A showdown follows the
last round of betting, with each player making the best hand possible
using their own cards and the five on the table.
- : High hand
- : High/low Whoever has
the highest card of the same suit as a specified table card (usually the
3rd or 5th) gets half the pot. If you use the 3rd card, expect someone
to raise the maximum every time during the last 3 betting rounds.
Elevator
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to variants >
- : 4-11
- : four cards to each player
and seven down on the table, arranged in two columns of three (the shafts)
with one in between (the elevator).
- : Table cards are turned up one at
a time, followed by betting rounds. The player will use the four cards
in his hand along with three on the table to create a seven card hand.
The player must use the elevator and one card from each shaft, and the
three cards must be in a line, though the elevator can be in any of the
three possible positions. So the middle card can be thought of to be on
any "floor". The order of determing which card to flip is such
that the elevator is turned over last and no two shaft cards which can
be used in the same hand be turned up until necessary. After all seven
cards have been turned up, there is a final betting round and then each
player must declare whether they are going high, low or both. If going
for both, both hands must be made up of the four cards in their hand and
the same set of three from the table.
- : High and low hands split
- : The elevator card
is wild. Different rows can be used for high and low hands when going
both ways.
Lame Brain Pete
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to variants >
- : 3-20
- : 3 cards down to each player,
five cards down to the table
- : A round of betting is held after
the deal, then one of the table cards is turned up. It is wild, along
with all cards of the same rank. Another round of betting follows. Repeat
until all four table cards are up. Each time a table card is flipped,
if it is the lowest showing table card it (and all cards of the same rank)
become wild, replacing the previous wild cards.
- : High hand
Omaha
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to variants >
- : 3-11
- : 4 cards down to each player,
five cards down to the table
- : Identical to Texas Hold 'Em, but
final hands must include exactly 2 of the player's four cards and exactly
3 of the table's five cards.
- : High and low hands split, but the
low must be 8-high or better (lower) or the high gets it all. Cards speak
for themselves.
- : Players may use all
4 of their cards, splitting them into two groups to form a high hand and
a low hand. Cards speak for themselves. As above, but players declare
high/low/both.
Texas Hold 'Em
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to variants >
- : 3-20
- : 2 cards down to each player,
five cards down to the table.
- : A round of betting is held after
the deal, then three of the table cards are turned up. Another round of
betting follows. One more table card is flipped, followed by another round
of betting. The last card is flipped, a final round if betting ensues,
and finally a showdown in which players make their best hands using their
2 and the table's 5.
- : High hand
- :
- Tahoe: 3 cards down instead
of 2. No more than 2 hole cards can be used in final hand.
- Billabong: Tahoe with an extra
up card to each player.
- Shanghai: 3 cards down instead
of 2, 2-card initial flop.
- Pineapple: 3 card down instead
of 2. Each player must discard one before the first 3 table cards
are flipped.
- Crazy Pineapple: same as Pineapple,
but each player discards AFTER the first 3 table cards are flipped.
- Super Holdem: 3 cards down
instead of 2, all of which may be used.
Tic Tac Toe
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to variants >
: 3+
: 2 cards down to each player,
nine cards up to the table arranged in a 3x3 grid.
: All players place three blue chips
in front of them (henceforth called "posts"). Betting starts to
the dealer's left. At the showdown, players announce their best hand using
their two cards plus any vertical, diagonal, or horizontal row of three
cards from the table. Note that you must announce your hand-- if you miss
a better one, too bad. High hand takes the pot, and all other players must
toss one of their posts (if any still remain) into a separate pot. All cards
are then discarded and a new hand dealt (without shuffling the deck if enough
cards remain) to all players who still have posts. Play continues in this
manner until only one player has posts left. That player collects the post
pot and the game ends.
: High hand gets the pot; last player
with posts gets the posts.
Z
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to variants >
- : 3-9
- : five cards down to each player,
four cards down to the table arranged in a Z:
13 42
- : The game begins with a betting
round, the lead of which rotates each round. After each betting round,
flip one of the table cards in the order indicated above (card 1 in
the first round, card 2 in the second, etc.). After the last card
is flipped there is one more round of betting, and then players form
a hand from three of their own cards and any two orthagonally adjacent
table cards (1&3, 3&4, 4&2), which they reveal in the
showdown.
- : High and low hands split, but
the low must be 8-high or better (lower) or else the high hand gets
the whole pot.