Auction Poker

Auction Overview

Auction is a variant of Seven Card Stud with just one major variation; players can bid for the chance to choose their upcards. Auction is suitable for 3-7 players.

Auction Rules

Before play begins, players must agree on a minimum and maximum betting limit. Players ante up, placing a small opening sum in the pot. Then the dealer gives each player two cards facedown. The dealer then puts one card face-up in the center of the table for each player, including himself. That is, if there are six players, the dealer puts six cards face up in the center of the table. Each player then decides how much they are willing to pay to have first choice of the cards. They can offer any amount between the bottom betting limit and the top.

The players take the amount of money or number of chips that they are willing to pay and place it in their hand without anyone seeing. All the players drop the money on the table at the same time. The player who has put the most money in chooses his card first, and so on. If more than one player has submitted the same amount of money, then those players select in order of who is closer to the dealer going clockwise around the table. This is called the auction round.

When the auction round is completed, each player takes his card and places it face-up in front of him. Then there is a betting round. In a betting round, players may elect to fold, relinquishing all rights to the pot and quitting play. If the player wants to stay in and not fold, they can choose whether to call or to raise. Calling means matching the minimum bet, while raising means adding additional funds, raising the minimum bet for all the other players.

There is an auction round followed by a betting round for cards number 4-6. Card number seven is dealt facedown, and is followed by a final betting round.

At the end of the final betting round, there is a showdown. Players who have not folded show their cards and the player who can form the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.