[cathompson]

Okay, after reading all the games here, I am compelled to add one that I haven't seen posted yet (as far as I know). I try to discourage wild card games, and when somone in our group does call Follow The Queen I usually fold pretty quickly. For me, I want a game to have certain characteristics. One of those is the ability to bluff, which you cannot do in something like No Peek.

Having said all that, a friend of ours introduced a game back when we started having poker games a couple of years ago. It is called Challenge, and I'll do my best to explain it here:

Everyone takes one chip (whatever unit you decide) and places it in front of them. The dealer then deals each player 2 cards. These two cards will be played as low (ace will be low). It starts with the player to the left of the dealer. He/she decides if they think they have the best (lowest) hand. If so he places the cards out to indicate he will take on anyone who wishes to challenge him (or if he doesn't believe he has a good hand he can simply pass). Continuing to the left each person decides to except the challenge or pass until it comes back around to him. If no one excepts the challenge, he puts out a marker (different colored chip perhaps). If he is challenged, then he exchanges cards (discretely)on a one on one basis with each challenger. The loser of the challenge pays the winner the total of the chips on the table, meaning that if 4 players each put out a quarter in front of them the winner would be paid 1$ for that challenge. If 2 people challenge him and he beats them both, he collects a dollar from each one of them. It is not as difficult as it sounds due to the fact that often you will have people pass on a whole round. Which means you then...

Deal a third card to each player. This round is three card high. Same series of events ensues and then a fourth card is dealt. This is 4 card low. Then a final card is dealt, this is 5 card high. Each card is followed by a round of challenges or passes. The game ends when someone gains 3 markers, and they then scoop the antes from each player. If no one has three markers by the end of 5 card high, another unit is placed by the players in front of them (like another quarter) and now the cost of the challenge is 2$.

So you can see that as the rounds increase it becomes more and more expensive to challenge someone which makes bluffing a strong possibilty.

You could have Ace - 2 on your first two cards (the nuts), and then score another ace for a big pair on 3 card high.
And to clarify, ace is low in all low rounds, and high in all high rounds.
And by the way...at the beginning of each round, the action begins with the person to left of the person who acted first previously. A round being from 2 card low to 3 card high for example.

This game has become a staple at our dealer choice rounds. We then break the game and rechip for a NL HE tourney to end the night.

Let me know if you have any questions, it sounds really detailed, but it really is a good game with lots of action and no wild cards.



See ya!