Old Poker Rules

After reading a thread about different variations of poker games, I decided to break out my 1963 copy of Hoyle's Rules of Games to check on the rules of one of the stud games i mentioned in my reply. This book is so old it doesn't even list omaha or hold 'em, so it's rules are probably pretty antiquated, but a couple interesting ones jumped out at me that I wanted to mention to see if anybody still plays by them.

1. Stud Poker: In the first betting interval, the player who was dealt the hightest-ranking face-up card must make a bet....

-this is they way I learned to play, but now it is the low card that bets first

2. Optional Hand: A four-flush is a hand with any four cards of the same suit. In Stud Poker, it is occasionally ruled that a four-flush beats a pair, though it loses to two pairs. In Draw Poker, it is often ruled that a player may open on a four-flush, but if he does not improve it, it is simply ranked as a hand with no pair.

-never even heard of this one

3. High-Low Poker: Often declarations are played: After the final round of betting is finished but before the showdown, each player in turn must declare whether he is trying for high, for low, or for both. He may win only the part of the pot for which he declared. If a player declared for both high and low he must at least tie each way or he recieves nothing.

4. Irregularities In Poker: Dropping (folding) Out of Turn: A player may drop without waiting for his turn if there is only one other player in the pot. If there is any other player in the pot, and he drops out of turn, when his turn comes he must call any bet made by any player before him, but his hand is dead and cannot win the pot.

These are all direct quotes from the book. Just wondering if anyone's ever heard of them, plays them, or knows any other obscure or seldom played rules.

-n

I play by rule #1 and always have just like you.

Rule #2 is a very funny one. Think of all the confusion this would cause at your games today.

I have heard of #3 and my dad and his family play this way in 7 card. That is also an odd rule, but no worse than being told you have to announce your hand and if you declare the wrong one you might not win. Now a days we let the cards speak for us. #3 would be done away with totally due to the internet, but in live games you may still find someone using it.

on rule 1 ive always gone with high cards bets first, never ran into anyone who plays low card bets first.

on rule 4 would love to see that still in play in some tourneys ive played in would kill half the field lol


g/l

Oh yea, I have heard of these rules and many others. I have "Holye" on poker somewhere in the bookself ill have to dig it out again.