Russian Poker

Game Description

A standard deck of 52 playing cards is used in the game of Russian Poker and has a maximum of four Player positions per table. To participate in the game Players must place a wager on the Ante box and prior to the first card dealt. No more bets will be accepted following the Dealer announcing, “No More Bets” Players may not touch, adjust or add to their initial wager following this announcement.

Should there be empty boxes at the table; Players may wager on more than one box, however subsequent boxes must be played blind, i.e. place the appropriate ante and bet wager prior to the initial deal equal to their open hand. Players may not see or replace any cards; the identity of their hand will only be revealed during the final settlement.
Players may buy a card for the Dealer on blind hands in the event of a no game for the Dealer, however they may not view their cards.
Following all Players placing their initial wagers, the Dealer shall deal 5 face down cards to each Player position in turn and 5 cards to the Dealer. The Dealers 5th card shall be turned face up. The Dealer shall pass cards to the Player, who may now view their hand and decide to either place a bet or fold their cards.
Players may not exchange or communicate information about their cards to other Players at the table.
Should a Player choose to withdraw from the game (pass), they will forfeit their ante.
Players choosing to remain in the hand must place a wager equal to twice the amount of their initial ante in the box marked “bet”.
After a Player has made their decision, they may not touch their cards or wagers.
The Dealer will now ask the Player to declare if they have a winning bonus combination (If they have a bonus bet placed). The Dealer shall then verify the combination; pay winning wagers according to the bonus pay table or remove losing wagers in the case that the Player does not have a winning combination.
When all the Players have made their decisions, the Dealer shall reveal their cards and compare them against the Player hands commencing from the last position.
The Dealer qualifies with Ace-King or higher. Player’s hand combinations lower than the Dealer hand shall lose.
Player’s hand combinations higher than the Dealer hand are paid according to the payout table.
Should the Player hand combination be equal to the Dealer hand, the winning hand is determined according to the next highest card in the hand. All suits are equal, the range of a card is determined in the following order:

A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

Except cases when the Ace ranks as the lowest card.

A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K

If after comparing all hands in the 5 card combinations of the Player and Dealer, the combinations are equal and therefore no winner can be determined a “Standoff” is announced – Player bets are returned, and cards removed.

Should the Dealer fail to make Ace/King or higher, only the Player ante is paid.

A Player may have up to two box combinations at once. Moreover, the second combination must include at least one card not used in the primary combination. With a five-card combination, the only possible second combination is the Ace-King. A Player may have a wider range with a six-card hand. A Player wins and is paid for the second combination only if the primary hand is higher than the Dealer hand.

Replacement and purchase of cards
Before the decision to continue playing, Players can exchange from two to five of their cards or to buy a sixth card for a wager equal to their ante.

Insurance
Players with a combination of three-of-a-kind or higher may choose to insure their hand against the Dealer not receiving a qualifying hand.
The minimum insurance wager must be equal to the ante and the maximum half of the prospective payout for all supposed combinations should the bet win.

Maximum payout of a table
The total payout for all box combinations and insurance may not exceed the maximum payout of a table.

Buying a game for Dealer
Should the Dealer not have a qualifying hand (no game), Players may buy a game for the Dealer for an amount equal to their ante. The Dealer will discard their highest card from their hand and draw a new card from the top of the deck to replace it, following the replacement card, if the Dealer still has no game, then no further cards are drawn.

Payout Table