Non-standard poker hands are hands which are not recognized by official
poker
Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
rules but are made by
house rule
House rules are unofficial modifications to official game rules adopted by individual groups of players. House rules may include the removal or alteration of existing rules, or the addition of new rules. Such modifications are common in board g ...
s. Non-standard hands usually appear in games using
wild cards
''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. ...
or
bugs. Other terms for nonstandard hands are special hands or freak hands. Because the hands are defined by house rules, the composition and ranking of these hands is subject to variation. Any player participating in a game with non-standard hands should be sure to determine the exact rules of the game before play begins.
Types
The usual hierarchy of poker hands from highest to lowest runs as follows (standard poker hands are in ''italics''):
*
''Royal Flush'': The highest straight flush, A-K-Q-J-10 suited.
* Skeet flush: The same cards as a skeet (see below) but all in the same suit.
* ''
Straight flush
In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called ''hands'', according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot. In high ...
'': When
wild cards
''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. ...
are used, a wild card becomes whichever card is necessary to complete the straight flush, or the higher of the two cards that can complete an open-ended straight flush. For example, in the hand 10♠ 9♠
(Wild) 7♠ 6♠, it becomes the 8♠, and in the hand
(Wild) Q♦ J♦ 10♦ 9♦, it plays as the
K♦ (even though the
8♦ would also make a straight flush).
* ''
Four of a kind'': Between two equal sets of four of a kind (possible in
wild card and
community card poker
Community card poker refers to any game of poker that uses community cards (also called "shared cards"), which are cards dealt face up in the center of the table and shared by all players. In these games, each player is dealt an incomplete hand f ...
games or with multiple or extended
decks), the
kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
determines the winner.
* Big bobtail: A four card straight flush (four cards of the same suit in consecutive order).
* ''
Full house
''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three dau ...
''
* ''
Flush
Flush may refer to:
Places
* Flush, Kansas, a community in the United States
Architecture, construction and manufacturing
* Flush cut, a type of cut made with a French flush-cut saw or diagonal pliers
* Flush deck, in naval architecture
* Flu ...
'': When
wild cards
''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. ...
are used, a wild card contained in a flush is considered to be of the highest rank not already present in the hand. For example, in the hand
(Wild) 10♥ 8♥ 5♥ 4♥, the wild card plays as the
A♥, but in the hand A♣ K♣
(Wild) 9♣ 6♣, it plays as the Q♣. (As noted above, if a wild card would complete a straight flush, it will play as the card that would make the highest possible hand.) A variation is the ''double-ace flush rule'', in which a wild card in a flush always plays as an ace, even if one is already present (unless the wild card would complete a straight flush). In such a game, the hand A♠
(Wild) 9♠ 5♠ 2♠ would defeat
A♦ K♦ Q♦ 10♦ 8♦ (the wild card playing as an imaginary second A♠), whereas by the standard rules it would lose (because even with the wild card playing as a K♠, the latter hand's
Q♦ outranks the former's 9♠).
* Straight Flush House: Same as Flush House (see below), but all cards are in consecutive order.
* Big cat: See
cats and dogs below.
* Little cat: See
cats and dogs below.
* Big dog: See
cats and dogs below.
* Little dog: See
cats and dogs below.
* ''
Straight
Straight may refer to:
Slang
* Straight, slang for heterosexual
** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype
* Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture
Sport and games
* Str ...
'': When
wild cards
''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. ...
are used, the wild card becomes whichever rank is necessary to complete the straight. If two different ranks would complete a straight, it becomes the higher. For example, in the hand
J♦ 10♠ 9♣
(Wild) 7♠, the wild card plays as an 8 (of any suit; it doesn't matter). In the hand
(Wild) 6♥ 5♦ 4♥ 3♦, it plays as a 7 (even though a 2 would also make a straight).
* Wrap-around straight: Also called a round-the-corner straight, consecutive cards including an ace which counts as both the high and low card. (Example Q-K-A-2-3).
* Skip straight: Also called alternate straight, Dutch straight, skipper, or kangaroo straight, Cards are in consecutive order, skipping every second rank (example 3-5-7-9-J).
* Five and dime: 5-low, 10-high, with no pair (example 5-6-7-8-10).
* Skeet: Also called pelter or bracket, a hand with a deuce (2), a 5, and a 9, plus two other un-paired cards lower than 9 (example 2-4-5-6-9).
* ''
Three of a kind''
* Little bobtail: A three card straight flush (three cards of the same suit in consecutive order).
* Flash: One card of each suit plus a joker.
* Blaze: Also called blazer, all cards are jacks, queens, and/or kings.
* ''
Two pair
In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called ''hands'', according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot. In high ...
''
* Bobtail flush: Also called four flush, Four cards of the same suit.
* Flush house: Three cards of one suit and two cards of another.
* Bobtail straight: Also called four straight, four cards in consecutive order.
* ''
One pair
In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called ''hands'', according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot. In high ...
''
* ''
High card
In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called ''hands'', according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot. In high ...
''
Some poker games are played with a deck that has been
stripped
Stripped may refer to:
Music
* "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986
* ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002
* ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014
* ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016
* ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
of certain cards, usually low-ranking ones. For example, the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n game of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
uses a 32-card deck in which all cards below the rank of 7 are removed, and
Mexican Stud removes the 8s, 9s, and 10s. In both of these games, a flush ranks above a full house, because having fewer cards of each suit available makes full houses more common.
Cats and dogs
"Cats" (or "tigers") and "dogs" are types of no-pair hands defined by their highest and lowest cards. The remaining three cards are
kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
s. Dogs and cats rank above straights and below Straight Flush houses. Usually, when cats and dogs are played, they are the only unconventional hands allowed.
* Little dog: Seven high, two low (for example, 7-6-4-3-2). It ranks just above a
straight
Straight may refer to:
Slang
* Straight, slang for heterosexual
** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype
* Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture
Sport and games
* Str ...
, and below a Straight Flush House or any other cat or dog. In standard poker seven high is the lowest hand possible.
* Big dog: Ace high, nine low (for example, A-K-J-10-9). Ranks above a straight or little dog, and below a Straight Flush House or cat.
* Little cat (or little tiger): Eight high, three low. Ranks above a straight or any dog, but below a Straight Flush House or big cat.
* Big cat (or big tiger): King high, eight low. It ranks just below a Straight Flush House, and above a straight or any other cat or dog.
Some play that dog or cat flushes beat a straight flush, under the reasoning that a plain dog or cat beats a plain straight. This makes the big cat flush the highest hand in the game.
Kilters
A Kilter, also called Kelter, is a generic term for a number of different non-standard hands. Depending on house rules, a Kilter may be a Skeet, a Little Cat, a Skip Straight, or some variation of one of these hands.
See also
*
Bug (poker)
A bug in poker is a limited form of wild card. One or both jokers are often added to the deck and played as bugs.
In draw poker played for high and pai gow poker, the bug is considered to be an ace, unless it can be used as a missing card to ...
*
List of poker hands
In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called ''hands'', according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot. In hi ...
*
Wild card (card games)
A wild card in card games is one that may be used to represent any other playing card, sometimes with certain restrictions. These may be jokers, for example in Rummy games, or ordinary ranked and suited cards may be designated as wild cards such ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Non-Standard Poker Hand
Poker hands
Poker variants