Our Favorite Poker Home Games for Dealer's Choice Night

Our Favorite Poker Home Games for Dealer's Choice Night

Want a fun way to change up the 2-card monotony? Looking for a few degenerate gambling games to set your money on fire? Here are some of our top dealer-choice games that we love and why.

 

Game: Oma-Jack
Blinds or Antes: Blinds
Max Number of Players : 10
Why we love it: Plays very similar to Omaha but with a twist! Your hand changes with each card that comes out. You think you have it, until you dont! 
Rules:

  1. Each player is dealt 5 cards.
  2. Game is then played exactly the same as Omaha with a flop, turn, and river
  3. Players must us 2 cards in their hand similar to Omaha to make the best 5 card hand. Players then us the remaining 3 cards to get closest to 21 without going over.
  4. Best 5 card hand using 3 cards from the board and 2 cards from their hand wins half the pot. The closest to 21 without going over using the remaining 3 cards wins the other half.
What typically wins? Straights or better
Variations: None.



Game: Crisscross

Blinds or Antes: Ante
Max Number of Players : 10
Why we love it: It’s a simple game with lots of action. Hands can be made or busted with the center card.
Rules:

  1. Each player is dealt two cards, and then 5 cards are dealt face down in a cross formation (3X3).
  2. The player to the left of the dealer flips the first card, and a round of betting ensues. (NOTE: Do not flip the middle card. The middle card is the last card flipped)
  3. The player to their left chooses the second card, and another round of betting ensues.
  4. This repeats until all cards are faceup.
  5. A player can choose to play the 3 cards across or the 3 cards down with the 2 cards in their hand to make the best 5-card hand.
What typically wins? Two pair and trips
Variations: You can also play this as a high/low split pot game or a low spade in the hole takes half the pot, etc.


    Game: Garbage

    Blinds or Antes: Ante
    Max Number of Players : 9
    Why we love it: We love the fact that the final garbage card has the possibility of blowing up your entire hand. Since all remaining cards in your hand can play, the sheer number of hand combinations is insane. A lot of times the winning hand might only use 1 card from the board.
    Rules:

    1. Each player is dealt five cards, and then two rows of 5 cards are dealt face down in a line. One line is straight, and one line is slightly angled. The slightly angled line is considered the “Garbage.”
    2. Immediately after the deal, the player to the left of the dealer flips over 1 card from each pile. The cards in the straight row are “community cards” and can be used with the 5 cards in your hand to form the 5 best card poker hand. The cards in the angled pile are “garbage.” If the card(s) in your hand match a card in the garbage pile, you must immediately discard your card faceup. A round of betting then ensues.
    3. The player to their left then chooses the second two cards to turn face up, and another round of betting ensues.
    4. This repeats until all cards are faceup.
    5. If a card that is in the community row also appears in the garbage pile, that community card immediately becomes “garbage.”
    6. After all cards are face up, there is one more final round of betting. The best 5 card poker hand wins.
    What typically wins? High flushes & full houses
    Variations: None

       

      Game: Split-hand hold’em
      Blinds or Antes: Blinds
      Max Number of Players : 10
      Why we love it: It typically builds a nice pot, and the opportunity to win both hands is a pretty regular occurrence. It also doesn’t hurt watching people’s faces once the flop comes out and they realize they split their hand wrong!
      Rules:

      1. Each player is dealt 4 cards. The player looks at all 4 cards and then splits them into two no-limit hold’em hands, which will be played separately. NOTE: Once the cards are split, you are not allowed to change or swap them within your other hand.
      2. Immediately after everyone splits their cards, a round of betting ensues just like in NLH.
      3. After the betting round, the flop is dealt with 3 cards, and another round of betting ensues.
      4. The turn is then dealt, followed by a round of betting.
      5. The river is dealt, followed by a final round of betting.
      6. All players at this point will play their best 5 card hand. The winner of this hand gets half the pot. The second hand is then played, and the winner of that hand gets the other half of the pot. Players are NOT allowed to sandbag their hands, meaning the cards play themselves. You cannot pick which hand you want to play and when; your best hand will play no matter what.
      What typically wins? Trips or better on the best hand / Middle to high pair on the second hand.
      Variations: You could choose to do a low spade (or other suite) in the hole.

        Game: Baduci
        Max Number of Players : 7

        Blinds or Antes: Blinds
        Why we love it: It’s the complete opposite of what you’re trying to get in a regular poker hand, and it’s a lot harder than it sounds! Pots are typically pretty juicy.
        Rules:

        1. Each player is dealt 4 cards with the goal of achieving the WORST hand in poker, which is 2 – 3 – 4 - 5 of all different suits and no pairs. The player looks at all 4 cards and organizes them in sequential order from lowest to highest.
        2. After the cards are dealt, the player to the left of the big blind will start the initial round of betting.
        3. After the 1st round of betting, players have the option to draw up to 3 new cards in order to achieve a Baduci. After the draw, another round of betting ensues.
        4. This is repeated two additional times for a total of three draws.
        5. Players will present their hands, with the best possible hand being 2-3-4-5 all with different suits and no pairs. The lowest high card will be the winner in the event players have similar hands such as 2-4-5-6 vs 2-3-5-7.
        What typically wins? A badugi with the highest card being a 9 or lower.
        Variations: badacey (A,2,3,4) badushey (any flush beats a badugi)

          Game: Pineapple
          Blinds or Antes: Blinds
          Max Number of Players : 10
          Why we love it: It’s an easy way to switch up hold’em, and it doesn’t take a lot to comprehend.
          Rules:

          1. Each player is dealt 3 hole cards face down.
          2. Players then discard 1 card of their choosing BEFORE the first round of betting.
          3. Action then starts with the player to the left of the big blind, and the hand proceeds to play exactly like Texas hold’em with flop, turn, and river cards, each with a round of betting in between.
          What typically wins? Hands similar to Texas hold’em
          Variations: Crazy Pineapple (players discard their 3rd card AFTER the flop) / Lazy Pineapple (players keep all 3 cards until the end and discard 1 after the final round of betting)

            Game: Anaconda
            Blinds or Antes: Ante
            Max Number of Players : 7
            Why we love it: It’s a simple game with lots of action. Things get interesting, especially if players to your right fold, and you start receiving cards from a different player.
            Rules:

            1. Each player is dealt 7 cards, and a round of betting ensues.
            2. After the first round of betting, each player takes 3 cards from their hand and passes them to their left.
            3. Another round of betting ensues, and then each player takes 2 cards from their hand and passes them to their left again.
            4. Another round of betting ensues, and then each player takes 1 final card from their hand and passes it to their left again.
            5. A final round of betting ensues.
            6. The best 5 card poker hand wins.
            What typically wins? Full houses, 4 of a kind, straight flushes.
            Variations: NA

              Game: Follow the Queen / Low Chicago
              Blinds or Antes: Ante
              Max Number of Players : 7
              Why we love it: Lots of action due to the constant changing of wilds and the unknown low spade in the hole.
              Rules:

              1. Queens are always wild cards. If a Queen is dealt face up, the card that immediately follows is ALSO wild. If another queen is dealt face up on any street, the first non-queen wild card that was dealt is now void, and whatever card follows the second queen that was dealt becomes the new wild. This happens anytime a queen is dealt face up and another card that follows. However, if the “Queen of spades rule” is in effect and the queen of spades is dealt face up, the entire game is mucked, players reante, and a new game is started. If a player folds at any time and the queen of spades is dealt face up, that player will NOT receive a new hand when the game is redealt (you can put a cap on how many times the queen can be dealt face up (I.e. 4 time cap means if the queen of spades is dealt face up, and you redeal 4 times, the 5th time it comes up, you do not redeal and just play out the final hand). Low spade in the hole takes half the pot.
              2. Each player is dealt 2 hole cards face down. Queens are always wild. Players are able to look at these cards.
              3. After the 2 hole cards are dealt, 1 card is dealt face up to every player. If a queen is dealt face up, the card that follows to the next player is ALSO wild. A round of betting ensues and starts with the highest visible card.
              4. After the betting round, another card is dealt face up to every player. The best 2 card hand showing starts the action, and another round of betting ensues.
              5. This goes on for two more streets until each player has 4 cards showing face up.
              6. The last card is dealt face DOWN. Giving each player 3 hole cards and 4 visible cards for a total of 7 cards for each player.
              7. A final round of betting ensues.
              8. The best 5 card poker hand wins one half of the pot, and the lowest spade in the hole wins the other half.
              What typically wins? 4 of a kind, straight flushes, and 5 of a kind.
              Variations: High spade in the hole

                Game: 4-card
                Blinds or Antes: Ante
                Max Number of Players : 8
                Why we love it: Pots can get insane. Venmo payments are 100% acceptable.
                Rules:

                1. 4’s are wild. There are NO straights or flushes. High card, 2 pair, 3 of a kind, and 4 of a kind are the only eligible hands.
                2. Each player antes and is dealt 4 cards.
                3. Players then go in order from the left of the dealer and declare if they are “in” or “out”.
                4. If a player is “in”, they have the opportunity for a 1-time draw up to 3 cards if they have an ace or 4 or up to 2 cards without an ace or 4.
                5. After all players have declared “in” or “out”, cards are then exchanged in order to the first player that is “in” left of the dealer. Draw cards are dealt consecutively, meaning if someone draws 3 cards, they are dealt the top 3 cards off the deck.
                6. After all “in” players have drawn, hands are turned over to reveal the best hand.
                7. The winner with the best hand receives the pot.
                8. All losers who stayed “in” match the pot total. For example, if two players stay in and one player wins a $4 pot, the sole loser pays $4. If 3 players stay in and 1 player wins the pot, the other 2 losers will both pay $4, making the new pot $8. If 3 more players stay in the next hand and 2 players lose, the pot would then double again to $16 ($8 from each loser).
                9. Once the hand is over, the deal moves to the left, and all players are dealt 4 new cards. Note: Folding the previous hand (or declaring that you’re “out”) does NOT prevent you from playing the next hand.
                10. The game is over when only 1 person declares “in” and everyone else is out.
                What typically wins? 3 or 4 of a kind.
                Variations: None

                   

                  Game: Squid Game
                  Blinds or Antes: Blinds
                  Max Number of Players : 7
                  Why we love it: It’s played similarly to Omaha, but the last card can absolutely destroy your hand!
                  Rules:

                  1. Each player is dealt 5 cards, and the dealer immediately deals the flop to 3 boards (3 cards on each board).
                  2. A round of betting ensues, and then a turn card is dealt to each board.
                  3. Another round of betting ensues, and then the river card is dealt to each board.
                  4. After the river card is dealt, whatever board received the LOWEST river card is completely mucked, and that board is no longer in play.
                  5. A final round of betting ensues.
                  6. The best 5-card hand wins.
                  What typically wins? Flushes and full houses
                  Variations: You can play this as a split-pot game with a high/high or high/low since there are two boards. We’ve also played it where the lowest turn mucks one board and then the lowest river mucks the second board, leaving one board left.

                    (Top row gets nuked since it was dealt the lowest river )

                    Game: Baseball
                    Blinds or Antes: Blinds
                    Max Number of Players : 7
                    Why we love it: It’s a classic but always brings a lot of action.
                    Rules:

                    1. 3’s and 9’s are wild. If you are dealt a wild card, you must pay to keep it. The price of the wild can be decided by the dealer prior to starting the game. (Typically we’ll do $5 per wild to help juice the pot). A 4 is also a form of a wild card and entitles the person to receive a bonus hole card, which is dealt immediately.
                    2. Each player is dealt one card face down and then one card face up, starting to the left of the dealer one at a time in rotation.
                    3. The person with the highest card starts a round of betting.
                    4. A second card is then dealt face up to all players starting to the left of the dealer.
                    5. The person with the best hand showing starts the next round of betting.
                    6. This continues until all players have 4 cards showing face up and two cards face down.
                    7. The last card is then dealt face down, giving each player 7 cards (unless a player has been dealt a 4, which would give them more than 7 cards). A final round of betting ensues.
                    8. The best 5-card poker hand wins.
                    What typically wins? 5 of a kind, straight flushes, or 4 of a kind
                    Variations: You can do a low/high suite or card in the hole and make it a split-pot game.

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