The game is played with three face down cards and four face up cards. All players are dealt cards to their private hand (no common cards). There are five rounds of betting. The player with the best five cards wins the pot.

Before a game starts, all players bet a predetermined amount in the pot (ante bet). This amount is based on the size or the game (ex. $1 in a $10-$20 game).

Each player is dealt their first two face down cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed card is the bring-in, and must initiate the action by placing a bet of either half or a full small bet (for example, either $1 or $2 in a $2-$4 game). If two or more players have the same lowest card, the bring in is determined by suit order progressing from clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.

Action continues clockwise around the table until the first round of betting is complete.

Each player must act on each betting round and make one of the following decisions:

Fold (Fold)– Abandon the game
Bet (Bet)– Bet
Call (Call)– Follow the bet of the previous player
Raise (Raise)– Increase the stake of the previous bet
Check (Check)– Neither bet nor fold (only if no action was taken before)

Upon completion of the first round of betting, another card is dealt face-up. From this point on, the highest hand showing begins the action by checking or betting. A face-up card is dealt after each subsequent betting round until the final round of betting where a face down card is dealt to each player. The best hand wins the pot.

In the unlikely event that all 8 players are still in the hand when the River card is dealt, the total number of cards needed for all the players to receive their own card would not be available in a standard deck of cards. In this case the River card is dealt face up on the table and it will be used as a community card.