Bored now. Invent a novel poker variant. - Page 5

monroe · #1 08-01-2007, 10:49 AM

Here is one from my never-been-play-tested (except for dealing hands to myself) file. Its novelty lies in the ranking system (much like badugi).

Vienna: It's a triple-draw game where each player is dealt five cards to start. The goal is to make the worst flush possible (aces are low). If no player has a flush, the worst four-flush wins, and so on. Offsuit cards don't play. I believe (but haven't bothered to confirm) that it has a "reverse bunching" trait.

In holdem, if it is folded to you on the SB, there is a "reasonable" strategy that your opponents could be following that would make it slighty more likely than random that the BB is holding an ace. In Vienna, when it is folded to you on the SB, I believe there is a "reasonable" strategy that your opponents could be following that would make it less likely that the BB has a playable hand. This is interesting if the BB knows you know this.

Here's another one: At the end of our Chinese Poker sessions, we sometimes play a few hands of some variant. One we have been playing lately is CP high, with the front being won by the highest point total there. So, AAA in front (33) is the nuts, but junk like KJT or QJT is actually solid. Usually 30 points in front will give you a shot, sometimes 29.

quirkasaurus · #2 08-01-2007, 11:24 AM

2 ideas:

Texas Hold'em variant:

3 hold cards

4 community cards dealt 2 at a time.
3 rounds of betting.
Best 5 card hand wins.

Add in the following hands:
4-in-a-row
4-to-a-flush
5-all-the-same-color

This way - - - all the women playing at our family poker
nights would actually make some hands.

Someone could run the numbers to figure out where these
new 3 hands fit in. I'm guessing somewhere between 1 pair
and 2 pair.

quirkasaurus · #3 08-01-2007, 12:42 PM

Oh, and another poker variant that was a lot of fun, 4 handed,
called "13".

The deck is dealt out, 13 cards each player.

You must created 3 hands, worst to best,
using 3 cards, 5 cards, and 5 cards.

If you mistakenly switch the order, the
out of order hands are voided and you lose your bets.

You must bet 1 2 and 3 chips ( blinds, whatever )
for your worst, second-best and best.

Extra betting may be done as follows:
1-5 extra chip bets on any hand,
but players' bets are treated as "all-in's";
in other words, if you bet 8 chips on your
best hand, i can leave my 3 bet out there,
and still win 3 chips if my hand is better.
Your 5 chip bet would be returned to you.

LearnedfromTV · #4 08-09-2007, 02:17 AM

I was thinking about this thread yesterday and invented five-card badugi with a five-suit deck.

And then I decided, what the hell, let's play everything with a five suit deck.

So that's like thirty new games. Enjoy!

2461Badugi · #5 08-09-2007, 09:52 AM

[ QUOTE ]

And then I decided, what the hell, let's play everything with a five suit deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why stop at five? Eight's probably just as easy to do. At some point I will put together a Cripple Mr. Onion deck.

Nichlemn · #6 10-20-2007, 07:58 AM

"Democratic Poker"

Odd number of players necessary. 5 seems a good number due to that being the number of rounds.

Each player is dealt two hole cards (or however many, could be Omaha style hands if you wanted). There is no betting, perhaps an ante could be taken at the start. Two cards are revealed from the deck, and starting from the first player to act for that round, votes are taken for which card is to be the next community card. Rotating one player to start the voting for the next card, another two cards are revealed and voted for. Continue until five community cards are selected. Hands go to showdown and the best high hand wins.

It seems there could be quite a bit of strategy firstly with voting strategically to deny other hands based on previous voting habits, and secondly by implicit collusion (which could be encouraged) by having players without a hope of winning the pot voting to help someone else's hand in the hope that they may recognise this and do the same for you in a latter hand.

Another possibility is having two winners, particularly for larger numbers of players, which could lead to more intricate decisions such as implicit collusion occuring in the space of a single hand.

electrical · #7 10-21-2007, 01:51 AM

Re: five suit poker, I had an idea.

If one card of each rank has a dot added to its pips, then there are five suits, [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and "dot." The dots should be evenly divided among the four "natural" suits by dotting A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and so on. Note that clubs will have four dotted cards while the other suits will have three, not that it matters that much.

This allows for five different flush and straight-flush suits, and the possibility of drawing to eighteen outs with a four flush in clubs.

This obviously devalues flushes and straight-flushes, but it doesn't change straights, pairs or other rank-defined hands.

Would it devalue straight flushes so much that Quads should out-rank them?

Phat Mack · #8 10-21-2007, 02:02 AM

[ QUOTE ]
"Democratic Poker"

Odd number of players necessary. 5 seems a good number due to that being the number of rounds.

Each player is dealt two hole cards (or however many, could be Omaha style hands if you wanted). There is no betting, perhaps an ante could be taken at the start. Two cards are revealed from the deck, and starting from the first player to act for that round, votes are taken for which card is to be the next community card. Rotating one player to start the voting for the next card, another two cards are revealed and voted for. Continue until five community cards are selected. Hands go to showdown and the best high hand wins.

It seems there could be quite a bit of strategy firstly with voting strategically to deny other hands based on previous voting habits, and secondly by implicit collusion (which could be encouraged) by having players without a hope of winning the pot voting to help someone else's hand in the hope that they may recognise this and do the same for you in a latter hand.

Another possibility is having two winners, particularly for larger numbers of players, which could lead to more intricate decisions such as implicit collusion occuring in the space of a single hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I really think this game has potential. It might even affect starting hand selection if voting patterns could be identified, allowing the play of non-standard hands.

It might be useful to come up with a mechanism for allowing an even number of players; say, not allowing the button to vote, or only allowing the button to vote in case of a tie. (Call the button the Vice President. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )

An interesting variant might be to expose some of the player's cards, e.g. one card in hold 'em or two in omaha. Or even play it "Indian" style.

Biggle10 · #9 10-21-2007, 01:21 PM

Agreed. I like the idea of the button not voting. Also, does everyone still vote even if they fold at some point?

Nichlemn · #10 10-21-2007, 06:20 PM

Well, currently it doesn't have any betting other than say an ante at the beginning, though perhaps there could be a single betting round after all cards are voted for. The logic being that everyone needs to be voting to improve their hand (or at least to hopefully get a favour later) so having players not in the hand voting is bad, as is having a heads up pot. No folds ensures you have the 5, 7 or 9 votes the game was meant to have. The basic strategy has simply shifted from betting to voting.