Thirty Eight Poker

Thirty-Eight Overview

Thirty-Eight is a variant of Three to Five Guts, which uses threes and eights as wild cards. It uses a different type of betting round from Three to Five Guts, but is otherwise quite similar. It is suitable for 3-8 players.

Thirty-Eight Rules

Before the deal, players ante up, placing a small sum in the pot to get the game rolling. The dealer gives each player three cards, face down. Players then declare whether they are in or out. This is done simultaneously, with each player using a token or coin to signal whether they are in our out.

All players who are in receive an additional two cards, bringing the number of cards in their hand up to five cards. There is a round of betting at this point. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, players can bet single, double, or triple, meaning that to stay in, the player has to wager the amount of the pot, double it, or triple it. Once a player has raised to double or triple, any other player must match that amount to stay in. Players who fold must give the original amount of the pot.

Once this betting round has ended, players show their cards. The player with the best poker hand wins the value of the pot, while all other players must put in the amount that was determined before. That is, if the betting went to double, they must put in double the pot, for example.

The cards are shuffled and re-dealt in the same manner. Play continues until only one player stays in for the initial round. That player wins the pot and there is no one to replenish it.