At a dealer’s choice game the other evening, we were discussing a game that many of us vaguely remembered, but no one could recall its name. The rules, as best we could recall, are as follows: Each player is dealt three cards. Hands are formed according to regular poker rankings, except that straights are disallowed (we couldn’t remember whether flushes were treated specially.) All players hold their cards over the table, and the dealer counts “one, two, three, drop.”
Those who do not drop their cards compare hands, and the best hand takes the pot. Each other player who stayed in must then match the current pot. The game ends when only one player stays in.
My google-fu is failing me badly on this one, as every likely query seems to be getting me a wealth of pages regarding poker in general.
I can’t remember how we used to play it exactly, but you had to beat the pot too, so it was progressive. It also involved having to pay half the pot, match the pot, or double the pot if you lost in certain circumstances.
Of course we were teenagers when we played this so we may have been doing it wrong. I remember dreading having to play because you could lose a lot of money real quick.
I am guessing that google fu failed as such a ridiculous game in no way resembles poker. It sounds like it is right up there with an excersize in self embarrassment called Blind Poker, it which each player is dealt one card, and without looking holds the card face out to thier forehead, so everyone but the player can see. Four cards are then dealt face up on the table as a common hand, with betting after each card. Highly entertaining if you like that sort of thing, but poker it is not. Give me five card draw any day, or five card stud, or even seven card stud. Play what you like, but don’t call old maid with money involved poker.
That sounds like the version I’m familiar with; the pot was dealt a hand that was always ‘in,’ and won ties. If everyone dropped then all hands were revealed and anyone who would have beaten the pot had to pay. The OP’s description sounds more wallet-friendly.
Not my favorite game, but an exciting one, and one that I played many times.
I know the OP’s game as “Guts”, also … with the exception that we always used two cards, not three. No straights or flushes … double aces was the top hand possible.
We played Guts as in the OP (though we allowed straights. They beat a pair but not three of a kind.) We played a two-card version called threes and fives, where threes and fives were wild, and obviously the only hands you could get were high cards or pairs. a three and a five being the best (after that it went five-five, three-three, five-ace, three-ace, ace-ace, etc… on down the line.)
How dare you you slam Martini-Enfield like that. He is not adulterated, he is much more likely to be adultering.
Sorry Martini, I know you are a person of great integrity, but I just could not resist.
If you want to play it online for real money, one place I know of that has it is http://nine.com. It’s pretty fun, but I agree it’s not really poker. Nine also has a game called, IIRC, Big 2 Poker, which also isn’t poker at all, but is more like a game I think we used to call Asshole. It’s fun too.
I hope that link is OK. It’s not illegal in the U.S. to play poker yet, is it?
True. I have seen plenty of “extra-dry Martini” recipes that are just plain straight gin (Ok, with an olive). And, don’t get me started on “apple-tinis” and such crap. A Martini is Gin (plus maybe vodka) and dry Vermouth, mixed to taste, well chilled, served with an olive.
Thanks, all. Guts is definitely the game we were thinking of. And knowing the name made it a lot easier to find the linked page – although I should have thought to check wikipedia to begin with.
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This would disqualify all lowball games. Even if we tweak the definition to say that the best hand in lowball is really the worst hand, you still have KC vs. California lowball–both can’t be “real poker” if you have to use standard poker rankings.
I’m of the opinion that guts is as much a poker game as stud or holdem, as are badugi, brag, soko, and many other completely legitimate poker variants. Chinese poker, OTOH…
Each, indeed, includes its own wrinkle (California says a straight can be ignored, KC says the ace can’t be part of the best hand.) But outside of that, each uses standard poker ranking to decide the relative value of hands consisting of 5 cards.
I am not normally anal, but I totally admit that I am when it comes to poker and martinis.
Martinis contain gin and vermouth, yes there is actually vermouth in there. If you so much as trade out the olive for a pearl onion then it is a different drink. People should take a lesson from the Gibson. I cut a little slack with a vodka martini, but I don’t drink 'em and that is as far as I’ll consider.
Poker is five card draw or five or seven card stud. Texas Hold 'Em when I am in a good mood. And no, you can’t make twos and one-eyed jacks wild you Baseball playing weenie.
On preview, the snarkiness is not directed at Opus1.
I would say that you’re giving the versions of poker that you endorse. There are hundreds (thousands?) of such, and even if you despise it, it would be hard to support the view that, say, Omaha isn’t poker.
Before my friends started played Hold 'Em exclusively, we called the OP’s game “Drop Guts.” Guts was a non-drop version with the same idea.
Regarding the “card on your forehead” game mentioned, we used the incredibly PC name “Indian” for that one. We always liked that game and would play a hand or two on Poker night. It highlights some of the most essential skills for playing Poker, reading your opponents without giving tells.