Mexican Poker
Forced Money
The game is played with antes and a button which rotates clockwise after each hand.
Dealing Procedure
The player with the high card showing clockwise of the dealer button goes first. A Joker dealt face-up is considered to be an ace for the purposes of the high hand.
A deck of 41 cards is used, where all of the eights, nines, and tens have been removed and a single Joker has been added. A Joker that is dealt face up serves as a bug and can be used either as an Ace or to complete a straight or flush. A Joker that is dealt face down serves as a completely wild card and assumes any value to make the player’s best possible five-card poker hand. A Joker that is dealt face down and exposed by a player is still a completely wild card, rather than a bug.
Starting with the player to the left of the button, each player is dealt one card face down then one card up. The player with the high card makes a bet, at either the small or large betting limit, followed by a round of betting. All raises must be at least equal to the size of the last bet.
After the betting round is complete, each remaining player has to decide whether or not to expose their down card.
A third card is dealt to each player. The card is dealt face down if both of the player’s cards have been exposed, otherwise it is dealt face up. This is followed by a round of betting, starting with the player with the highest hand showing clockwise of the dealer button. After the betting round is complete, each remaining player has to decide whether or not to expose their down card.
A fourth card is dealt to each player. The card is dealt face down if all of the player’s cards have been exposed, otherwise it is dealt face up. This is followed by a round of betting, starting with the player with the highest hand showing clockwise of the dealer button.
After the betting round is complete, each remaining player has to decide whether or not to expose their down card.
A fifth card is dealt to each player. The card is dealt face down if all of the player’s cards have been exposed, otherwise it is dealt face up. This is followed by a round of betting, starting with the player with the highest hand showing clockwise of the dealer button.
Evaluating the Showdown
The best high five-card poker hand wins the pot. Since the stripped deck of 41 cards is being used, a flush will outrank a full house. Because the eights, nines, and tens have been removed, a hand such as 5-6-7-J-Q is a straight.