Da House Rules

In poker, as with any game, it is important to lay down the ground rules. This section lays out what the ground rules our for our monthly poker games. Of course, for those who don't play with us you can create your own ground rules. But it is critical to set the rules and ensure everyone knows them. I've seen some poker games turn ugly because we didn't all know the rules.

The House Rules

1. Standard ante is a quarter and max bet is a dollar.
2. The first bet always starts left of the dealer and rotates clockwise.
   
3. What you call is what you play, even if you had a better hand and didn't realize it (the exception is Texas Holdem and Omaha - those cards play themselves).
   
4. Aces are always high unless stated otherwise by dealer.
5. If 2 people have a flush, a straight, or a straight flush, the winning hand will be the one with the highest card, or if they are tied the 2nd highest card, until there is a winner. If they are identical numerically it’s a split pot.
6. If 2 people have a full house, the winning hand is based on higher of the trips first, if they are the same then the pair determines the winner. If the hands are still identical numerically the pot is split.
7. If dealer calls "pair of sevens (or any other pair) takes it", in the unlikely event that 2 people have a pair of sevens, the one with the 7 of Spades wins the pot.
8. For Split pot games, if you call both games, you must win both. (Example - if you call on a poker hand and spade count, you must win both to win. Lose one and you lose both).
9. In follow-the-queen, should a queen turn up as the last card face up it means that ONLY the queen is wild and nothing else if wild.
10. For the last betting round, if you 'call' or get 'called', you have to show your hand.
11. If a card gets turned up during a card exchange, the player has the option of either taking the turned over card, or receiving a new card.