Guts Poker Games
| Starting Hand | Three cards dealt face- down |
| Betting Rounds | Ante only |
| Winning Poker Hand | High hand |
Overview:
Guts poker is a very straightforward three-card poker game. In the game of guts, the players who play their hand at the showdown and lose are required to match (replenish) the total amount of money that was in the pot when the round started. For instance, if the pot is at $20, any player who plays their card at the showdown and loses, must place $20 into the pot as their Ante at the beginning of the next hand. Playing your hand in a showdown takes 'guts' in the game of guts... hence the name.
In most versions of guts poker there is a maximum cap set for the amount that would have to be matched. So if the cap were $25 and the pot stood at $60, the losing player from the showdown would only need to Ante $25 at the commencement of the following hand. In some versions it is all players that lose at the showdown who must pay the forfeit, in others it is just the holder of the lowest who replenishes the pot.
The Ante:
In Guts-Poker the Ante is the only bet placed for each round. There are no other betting rounds.
The Deal:
The players are each dealt three face-down cards.
Declaring:
Each player looks at their cards, and decides if they intend to stay-in (play their hand) or fold. The players' decisions are all announced at the same time.
Traditionally the players declare by holding their hand face down over the table. If they do not wish to participate in the round they drop their cards on the dealer's cue. Because this can lead to situations where players hesitate, waiting to see how many hands are staying in, those planning to drop their hand are asked to place a poker chip in their hand which is revealed at the dealer's cue. Those players with no chip in their hand are willing to play.
A player who choses to be 'out' remains out for the one hand (until the next deal), but not for the whole of the round. If all players in a round go 'out', the pot is carried over to the following game. In the new game all the players ante once again.
If only one player stays in the game, the game ends with that player winning the entire pot, and the next hand is dealt.
The Showdown:
The players show their cards and the player holding the highest hand takes the pot. The remaining players, who lost, are each required to replace the pot. They each pay the pot the amount of money that it originally contained. Replacing the pot is also known as 'Matching the pot' or 'paying the pot'. All players that lost replace the pot in Monte Carlo guts. Only the lowest losing hand replaces the pot in Survivor guts.
The total of the pot, and therefore the money that can be won or lost can increase fairly rapidly. For instance, if two players stay in for the showdown the total pot will remain the same (having been replenished by only one loser), however if three players make the showdown the pot will double (having been replenished by two losing players).
Continuing the Game:
The game continues for as long as there is money remaining in the pot. The played cards are discarded and new hands are dealt from the remainder of the deck. When the deck is not large enough to deal three cards to each player, it will be reshuffled and whole hands dealt from the new deck
Hand Rankings
With Guts Poker being a three card poker game, it has different hand rankings to a regular 5 card poker game. They are listed here ranked highest hand to lowest hand. The ranking can vary depending on where you're playing, and which type of guts poker you're playing, so be aware and clarify the hand ranking before you sit down to play.
- Straight Flush (of three)
- Three-of-a-Kind
- Straight (of three)
- Flush (of three)
- One Pair
- High Card
Common rules:
The round is over, if, in the previous hand ...
- there was at least one winner and
- there were no players who lost after declaring themselves in
Players who have sat out on a round may join at the start of the new round.
New players may join at the start of the new round.
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