Wild Widow Poker

Wild Widow Poker Overview

Wild Widow is a variant on Spit in the Ocean, and is a combination of draw poker and community card poker. Wild Widow can be played by 3-8 players.

Wild Widow Poker Rules

Before the deal, each player places an ante. The ante is a small amount of money that each player adds to the pot, making sure that the winner wins at least some cash. After the ante is placed, the dealer gives each player four cards, and puts a fifth card, face up, in the center of the table. That card is a community card, and all players use it to make their hand.

There are two common variants of Wild Widow. In one variant, the center card and all other cards of its rank are wild. In the other variant, the center card is not wild, but all other cards of its rank are wild.

After the cards have been dealt, there is a round of betting. The player to the left of the dealer begins the round, and betting goes clockwise. When a person is called upon to bet, they can choose to stay in the game by either checking if they have already added enough money or calling, that is, adding enough money to equal the top bet. They may also raise, which forces any other player who wishes to stay in to meet that bet. If they do not wish to stay in or wager more money, they may fold, giving up any chance of winning, but they will not have to add any more money to the pot.

After the round of betting, each player may choose to return up to three of his or her cards in exchange for new cards. Once all players have returned their cards and received new ones, there is another round of betting, followed by the showdown. In the showdown, players who have remained in the game need to show their cards. The player with the best hand, accounting for the wild cards, wins the pot.