Poker Duel

These are the rules for Poker Duel, a poker-based game for two players:

Poker Duel

Start with a normal 52 card deck.  Shuffle and cut for highest card to determine who deals first.

Dealer deals each player 15 cards and places the remainder of the deck face-down in the middle of the playing space on his/her left.

Players arrange their cards into three poker hands, then put them face down in front of them in a line of three.

Players pick up the hands closest to the deck for the first round of the duel.  They are each allowed to replace two cards from their hand with two cards from the deck, but must take turns doing so.  The first option goes to the player who did not deal.  Keeping within the principles of poker, players must throw out a card before picking up a replacement – they cannot see the card they are picking up first, but must take their chances.

They may choose to “stand” on the cards they have if they do not wish to change.

After they have both had the opportunity to change cards, they show their hands.  The highest ranking hand wins the round.

They then move to the hand next closest to the deck for the next round, and so on.

The rounds are worth an increasing number of points:  the first round is worth 1 point, the second is worth 2 points and the third is worth 3 points.  It is possible for one player to lose the first two rounds but win the third, and therefore tie for points. 

The deck is then shuffled, and the other player becomes the dealer for the next game.

The winner of the duel is the person with the highest number of points after a set number of games.

If the points are even at the end of the last game, a single hand of five cards is dealt and players are once again given the option of exchanging two cards from the deck.  This hand is sudden death, and if neither player has a usable poker hand the person with the highest ranking cards wins.