21 Hand Hold'em

· Summary Enjoy a turn-limited variant of the world’s most popular poker game, and hold the most poker chips in the end to win.

· Number of Players 2-8

· Order of Play Clockwise, starting player chosen by lowest card drawn

· Requirements One deck of cards, poker chips

· Value of Aces 1 or 14

· Value of Royals Face value

· Wilds Optional

· Setup & Playing a Round

            Each player begins the game with 4 chips. 21 additional chips (1 for each hand) can also be earned by the table. The order of play is as follows:

5 cards are dealt to each player. Each player discards 1 card. ‘The Flop’ occurs (3 community cards are revealed). Each player discards 1 more card. ‘The Turn’ occurs (a 4th community card is revealed). Each player discards 1 final card. Betting is seen to. ‘The River’ occurs (a 5th community card is revealed).

Players must use both cards left in their possession to form their final hand, along with any 3 (of the 5) cards available to all players. Winning hands (in order of their value from worst to best) are as follows:

High Card

One Pair

Two Pair

Three of a Kind

Straight

Flush

Full House

Four of a Kind

Straight Flush

Royal Flush

*The dealer is always to the right of the player holding the blind.

· Betting

            Beginning with the starting player, a single blind is passed clockwise each hand. The player holding the blind must bet 1 chip to obtain their hand, then 1 additional chip for each card-reveal round if they wish to keep playing. They may fold at any time, but all chips bet are surrendered if they fold. All other players must bet 1 chip directly before ‘The River’ reveal to stay in the round; otherwise they fold. If a player has no chips, or runs out of chips at any point, they play the rest of the round for free. Winners take all chips bet by the table, plus 1 from the bank stack at the end of each hand. There is no penalty for running out of chips; all players simply continue playing until all 21 hands are finished. Any ties in hands result in a split pot, and any odd chips out are left in the pot for the next hand (or left unclaimed if this happens during the final hand).

· Ending a Round & Winning the Game

            The player with the most chips (after the final hand ends) wins the game. Any ties (for most chips) at the end of the game are settled by a ‘High Card’ draw (wherein 1 card is drawn randomly from the deck by each tied player, until 1 player holds the highest card; and they’re the winner).

· Optional Variation

            Any player may increase the bet at ‘The River’ by 1 additional chip (for a total of 2 chips). The bet must be met to continue playing the round, unless a player has no chips; in which case they keep playing for free.

*Please note that this game was designed by Shane Windham. All Rights Reserved.*