Baseball, National League Rules. Contributed by John Noriega This version of Baseball is called 'National League Rules' to keep it from being confused with the standard Baseball variant. Baseball, National League is a seven card stud game and as in standard baseball, 9's are are wild.

Football (3)

Sunshine Poker League is a recreational league open to anyone to play Texas Hold 'Em. It is no buy-in and no gambling for money, but it is a great opportunity to practice poker with a friendly and fun group of people. I didn't know much about poker when I was invited by my walking partner to play but I went and was welcomed warmly.
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Stud-Jack

Invented by Ken McKenzie and contributed by Dave Kinney (DKinney@fhi.org)

This is straight 7 Card Stud except that your two cards down comprise a blackjack hand. You may pay to have the 7th card dealt up so as not to take a hit on your blackjack hand. The high poker hand and the best blackjack hand split the pot.

Widow Jack

A variation of Stud-Jack contributed by fran

This game is dealt and played just like 'stud jack', but with the 'black mariah' rules. If the 'black mariah' (Q) appears, the hand is reset and even a great blackjack hand gets wiped out.

New York New York

Contributed by Dave Kinney (DKinney@fhi.org)

This game was invented by Ellen Czeh several years ago and it has become a staple around the kitchen table. She called it New York New York as she lived there at the moment of inspiration.

This is a seven card stud high low poker game. Each player is dealt the first three cards, two down, one up and then there is a betting round. The deck is then placed in the middle of the table and two cards turned up, one on each side of the deck. Each player in turn selects a card, either one of the turned up cards or a card from the top of the deck, which would be turned up except on the seventh card. As turned up cards are removed, the dealer replaces them from the deck turning it up on vacant spot. After all players have selected a card, there is a betting round. Play continues until all players have seven cards. On the last card, if an up card is selected it stays up, if a down card is selected it stays down. Typically there is a declare, because both high and low can be won by the same person. A betting round would typically follow the declare, but this is optional.

Note: after all the players have 7 cards, there will be either one or two central face-up cards remaining, depending whether the last card taken is an up card or a down card. These central cards are out of play, but known to the players during the declaration and final betting round.

Weeping Willow

Developed by the Monday Night Poker Club and contributed by Roger Shuman (rdshuman@hotmail.com)

Ante: There is no 'ante' but each player must place 6 nickels (or whatever your group chooses) in front of him. These will be used to purchase trades with other players once the game begins)

DEAL: 5-7 cards to each player (as long as everyone gets the same amount)

PLAY: Once the cards are dealt, optional trading begins. A player may exchange any equal number of cards with any other player (e.g. Player A trades 3 cards with Player B). Each trade costs a player one nickel. Upon making the trade, he or she places one nickel into the pot. Each player has a maximum of six trades (one for each nickel). There are no requirements for trading (i.e. players can trade mixed cards, pairs, sets, single cards, whatever) as long as the exchange consists of the same amount of cards for each player - 1 for 1, 2 for 2, etc. Once trading is done, each player selects the five cards he will use for his hand and places them face down in the order he wants to reveal them one at a time (i.e. 'roll your own'). The betting round starts with each player turning over his first card. Once the card is turned up, the highest showing card bets. Play continues until the fifth card is turned over and there is a winner.

Clarification of trading process.

If you wish to trade, you call out just the number of cards you want to trade - for example 'three'. You are not allowed to give any information about the identity of the cards.
There is no obligation on anyone to participate in a trade.
If two players agree to trade some number of cards, each of them must pay a nickel to the pot.

STRATEGY FOR TRADING ROUND: Many players will use up all of their trades. However, some may opt to stop trading early. One might stop early in order to get other players to assume the presence of a good hand. Or, one might stop early to ensure that his or her cards (if traded) do not increase the chances of someone else trading into a better hand. Then again, some players are just too cheap to give up all of their nickels.

STRATEGY FOR BETTING ROUNDS: As in any 'roll your own' variation, players carefully choose the order in which they will reveal cards. Since other players (especially those who are apt at keeping track of cards) will know the location of certain cards, it might make sense to play those early. Players like to keep opponents guessing at the actual value of their hand until late in the game. This allows for bluffing.

Sex in the Middle East

Contributed by Ian Blessing (discomonkey@mail.com)

The game is dealt like basic 7 card stud. The only real difference is that 5's are wild, and whenever a 5 is dealt up the card after that is wild as well. So say I get a 5 dealt up to me. The next person gets dealt a 2. 2's are now wild for everyone, throughout the deal. Potentially then, you can have 5 wild cards by the end of the deal. The rest is the same as 7 card stud, with betting after every card.

Two Thirds

Contributed by Andrew Demkovich (stratz9@aol.com)

The deal and betting are the same as in Seven Card Stud, but in order to win a showdown you must have at least two of the following:

the best hand;
the lowest spade in the hole (face down);
the highest spade in the hole.

If no one has two out of three of these, the pot rolls over to another hand.

The spade can be separate from the best 5-card hand. For example it is possible to win with a diamond flush and the lowest face down spade.

Note that if there is only one spade among the hole cards of the players in the showdown, that spade is both the highest and the lowest and its owner wins the pot.

Faces of Death

A variation of Black Mariah suitable for a small table (4-5 players) contributed by fran

The game is dealt and played just like 7 card stud and 'Black Mariah', but instead of just the queen of spades being the 'mariah', any spade face card kills the hand - thus the 'faces of death' name.

Chameleon

Invented by Paul DeLuca (paul_deluca@adelphia.net) and Fritz Stei.

Players: 3-7

Initial Deal: After the ante, players are dealt seven cards face down, no-peek.

Play:This is the same as midnight baseball but the wild cards (3s and 9s) can change during the game, only if a 7 is turned up. If one is turned up, the player who receives it has the option to change-out one of the initial wild cards (3 or 9) for a pre-determined fee. If the fee is paid, have the player decide which wild card he would like to change. Using a second deck draw the top card and place it face up next to the deck. This is the new wild card along with the other remaining wild card. At this point the wilds cards are; one of the initial ones and the one turned up by the second deck. If another seven is drawn the same option applies. Play continues until the person with the best 5 card hand wins.

Tip: Folding earlier can prove later on to become a bad move as a dead hand may be revived as cards within can suddenly become wild.

Luck of the Irish

A variation of seven card stud poker with a wild card, contributed by Alan Frandsen

Deal the traditional 2 cards down, 4 up and last one down. Betting is as per normal 7 card stud. However, fours

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