Winter Baseball Poker

Introduction

Winter Baseball is a variation on Baseball, with slightly different rules. Nines are wild, fours get players an extra card, and threes are wild, but to use them as wild cards, players must match the pot. Like Baseball, Winter Baseball can be played by 3-7 players.

Winter Baseball Rules

Players pay an initial fee into the pot. This is referred to as the ante. Then the dealer gives each player two cards facedown, followed by a third card face-up. If any player receives a four, they automatically get an extra card, dealt facedown. If any player gets a three, they can either pay the amount of the pot or put their three up for sale. If no one chooses to buy it, they can either opt to pay the pot or to fold. In order to buy the three, another player pays the price that the player has set, and he must match the value of the pot.

When all this is taken care of, there is a round of betting. Beginning with the player to the dealer’s left and moving clockwise around the table, each player must decide whether he wishes to stay in or to fold. Players who wish to stay in must pay at least the amount of the current bet. If the player only pays the amount of the current bet, it is referred to as calling. The player may opt to put in more money, called raising, forcing other players to match the new, higher amount.

When the round of betting is completed, each player receives a fourth card, face-up. All rules stated before regarding 3, 4, and 9 apply. There is another round of betting.

The fifth card is dealt, face-up. All rules stated before regarding 3, 4, and 9 apply. There is another round of betting.

The sixth card is dealt, face-up. All rules stated before regarding 3, 4, and 9 apply. There is another round of betting.

The seventh card is dealt facedown. There is a final round of betting. This is followed by the showdown. Each player shows all of his cards, and the player who can form the best five-card poker hand wins the pot, bearing in mind that nines and threes are wild.