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 		 In most draw and stud, each player manages his or her own private cards. In these community card games, players share some of the cards in their hands with other players. As a result, the differences between hands tend to be much less pronounced. The smart player needs to be able to discern subtle differences between his or her hand and the hands of other players.
 
 

Texas Hold'Em

  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to 23 (assuming you stole your poker table from the United Nations). 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Two cards down to each player. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Dealer deals three cards face up on the table. Bet. Dealer exposes a fourth card on the table. Bet. Dealer exposes a fifth card on the table. Bet. Showdown. 
  • WINNER 
    • Player with the highest hand constructed from the seven visible to player. 
  • VARIATION 
    • Omaha 
      • Instead of exposing three cards in the center at once, all five are exposed individually with a bet after each. 
Cincinnati
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to nine. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Five cards down to each player, five cards down in the center of the table. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Dealer exposes a center card. Bet. Repeat until all five center cards have been exposed. Bet. Showdown. 
  • WINNER 
    • Player with the highest hand constructed from the ten available to player (the five in the player's hand, and the five on the table). 
  • VARIATIONS 
    • Lamebrain Pete 
      • Lowest center card and all like it are wild. 
    • Utah 
      • Final center card exposed and all like it are wild. 
Padre
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to nine. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Five cards down to each player. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Dealer exposes three cards in the center of the table. Bet. Dealer exposes a fourth center card. Bet. Dealer exposes a fifth center card. Bet. Declare. Bet. Showdown. 
    • Hands are constructed from exactly two down cards and three common cards. 
  • WINNER 
    • High and low hands split, but the low must be 8-high or better (lower) or the high hand wins the whole pot. 
  • NOTES 
    • If there are not three nonmatching cards eight or lower among the common cards, a low hand is not possible and high hand wins the whole pot. 
    • Because of the rule that the low must be 8-high or better (lower), the weakest hand that is eligible to win the low half, if any, is 8-7-6-5-4. 
Iron Cross
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to nine. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Five cards down to each player, five cards down to the table arranged in a cross. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Dealer exposes the three o'clock card in the cross (based on dealer's perspective). Bet. 
    • Dealer continues exposing clockwise and players keep betting after each until all four points are exposed. Bet. 
    • Dealer exposes the center card. Bet. Showdown 
  • WINNER 
    • High hand constructed from the five cards in player's hand and the three cards in either the horizontal or vertical bar of the cross. 
  • VARIATIONS 
    • High-low split. 
    • Feiry Cross 
      • Center card in cross and all like it are wild. 
Bingo
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to eight. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Five cards down to each player, nine cards face down in a 3X3 grid in the center of the table. Dealer exposes the four corner cards. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Dealer exposes the three o'clock card (based on dealer's perspective). Bet. 
    • Dealer continues exposing clockwise and players keep betting after each until all four edge cards are exposed. Bet. 
    • Dealer exposes the center card. Bet. 
    • Declare. Bet. Showdown. 
    • Hands are constructed from the best five among the five in player's hand plus the three cards in any row, column, or diagonal in the center grid. 
  • WINNER 
    • High and low split the pot. 
    • A player who wishes to win both the high and low halves of the pot may take advantage of different three card series in the center grid. 
Between the Sheets
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to eight. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Five cards down to each player, then two rows of five face down in the center. 
    • One center row is designated the good row, the other row is designated the bad row. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. 
    • Dealer exposes one card in the good row and one card in the bad row. Card in the good row is a community card and may be used by anyone as part of their hand. 
    • If a player has a hole card with the same rank as the newly exposed card in the bad row, that card is dead and player must turn that card face up in front. Cards with the same rank as a card in the bad row may not be used in evaluating hands at the showdown. 
    • Once a card is considered bad, that rank is always bad. If card in bad row is the same rank as a previously or subsequently exposed good card, good card is moved to the bad row and is considered bad, as are all of similar rank. 
    • Bet. 
    • Dealer exposes another good card and another bad card. Players holding hole cards with same rank as bad card must again turn those cards face up in front and not consider them in constructing final hands. Bet. 
    • Continue alternating bets with the exposing of center cards until all ten center cards are exposed. Bet. Declare. Bet. Showdown. 
  • WINNER 
    • High and low hands split. 
    • Hands are constructed based on the remaining hole cards plus the community cards in the good row. 
  • VARIATIONS 
    • Gaguine Corollary 
      • If a player loses all five cards because they all match cards exposed in the bad row, the game is immediately declared over and that player wins the whole pot. 
    • Use and Lose 
      • Pot is split between the player with the high hand as above, but the other half goes to the player with the lowest total score among his or her hole cards. For the low half, faces are worth ten, aces one, and all others worth their pip value. 
  • NOTES 
    • This game probably has a different name. We call it Between the Sheets, but I think Between the Sheets is actually a different game based loosely on Acey Deucey. If you know what I should call this beast, let me know.