12-10-2001, 04:41 PM
I thought I'd share a game that was played for nickels (I mean five cents, not five dollars) at my MIT dorm, Burton House, during the mid-'80s. They called it "Guts high/low". I'm curious whether this was a local creation or whether it is played elsewhere.
Guts high/low can be played with up to seven.
"First option" is initially the player to dealer's left. Each round, first option rotates one seat to the left.
In general, a round of the game looks like this. There is a "high pot" and a "low pot", that has been built of players' antes. The players are each holding from four to seven cards (all hole cards). An auction period takes place, beginning with first option. The first time around the table, each player may either pass, "declare" in any direction(s) that have not yet been declared, or challenge the player(s) who have declared. The auction remains open until each player has had one chance to challenge the last declarer.
Challenging a declaration means that the two players involved swap hands to establish who has the better hand, evaluated in that direction. (When evaluating for low, we happened to play 6432A no flush was the nut, but I don't think the specific low-evaluation method matters to the play of the game.) The loser pays the winner an amount equal to the size of that pot.
If a player declares in a direction and the auction ends with nobody having challenged him for that direction, he wins that direction's pot.
Declarations do not carry over from one round to the next.
The game works like this:
To begin with, each player antes into each pot, and receives four cards. There is an auction.
If at least one of the pots remains, then each player antes again into the remaining pot(s), everyone receives a fifth card, and there is an auction.
If at least one of the pots remains, then each player antes again into the remaining pot(s), everyone receives a sixth card, and there is an auction.
If at least one of the pots remains, then each player antes again into the remaining pot(s), everyone receives a seventh card, and there is an auction.
Here is the difference. After seven cards, if at least one of the pots remains, the cards are thrown in, the deck is shuffled, everyone antes into BOTH pots and receives four new cards, and there is an auction.
When both pots are empty, the game is over.
Remember that first option rotates one seat to the left after each auction.
When evaluating four-card combinations, there are no straights or flushes. 432A is the nut low.
When evaluating six- and seven-card combinations, the best (or worst) five-card combination is used.
As with other "pay an amount equal to the pot" games, it would be wise for the players to agree on a cap. We usually played to a $5 cap. The pot itself could grow to over $5, but the maximum amount one player would have to pay another was capped to $5.
Here is an example of how the game would work.
Six players each ante a nickel into both pots.
Player 1: T863
Player 2: 669A
Player 3: QJ43
Player 4: TT52
Player 5: QQ72
Player 6: 8432
Player 1 declares "low". Players 2 and 3 pass.
Player 4 declares "high". Player 5 challenges player 4 for high. (each looks at the other's hand and Player 4 pays Player 5 thirty cents.)
Player 6 challenges for low and wins. Players 1, 2, and 3 pass (i.e. they elect not to challenge for high.)
The auction period is now closed. As both pots have been declared for and challenged, they are both still active.
Each player antes another nickel into each pot and receives a fifth card:
Player 1: T8632
Player 2: 6669A
Player 3: QJ743
Player 4: TT752
Player 5: QQ872
Player 6: K8432
Player 2 is now first option and passes.
Player 3 passes. Player 4 passes. Player 5 declares "high". Player 6, on a bluff, declares "low". Player 1 challenges player 6 for low and wins sixty cents. Player 2 challenges player 5 for high and wins sixty cents. Players 3 and 4 pass and the auction is closed.
Both pots were challenged, so each player antes another nickel into both pots and receives a sixth card.
Player 1: T88632
Player 2: 666J9A
Player 3: QJ9743
Player 4: TT8752
Player 5: QQ8732
Player 6: K8432A
Player 3 is first option and passes. Players 4, 5, 6, and 1 pass. (Perhaps player 6, who made an eight low with a nut re-draw, was hoping that player 1 would declare for low.) Player 2 declares for high. Players 3, 4, 5, 6, and 1 pass.
Player 2 wins the high pot. The low pot remains.
Each player antes another nickel into the low pot and receives a seventh card.
Player 1: T88632A
Player 2: 666JJ9A
Player 3: QJT9743
Player 4: KTT8752
Player 5: KQQ8732
Player 6: K87432A
Player 4 is now first option and passes. Player 5 passes. Player 6 declares for low. Player 1 challenges player 6 for low and wins a dollar twenty. Player 2 attempts to declare for high and is chided by the rest of the table for taking an impossible action (you can't declare in a direction when the pot does not exist). Players 3, 4, and 5 pass.
The cards are thrown in, everyone antes a nickel into each pot, first option rotates to player 5, everyone gets four cards, and the hand continues. The low pot is now $1.50 and the high pot is $0.30.
Notes:
You may declare (or challenge) in one direction and declare (or challenge) in the other direction as part of the same round of the auction. You may also pass or declare in one direction at your first turn in the auction, and if someone after you declares in the other direction, you may challenge him in that direction at your next turn in the auction.
Players involved in a challenge are honor bound not to disclose information about the other's hand. (I think the possibility for such disclosure is the weak part of this game.)
The game must decide what policy to follow regarding abandonment. I recommend one of the following two policies:
(a) Players may not abandon the game. (Enforcement left as an exercise to the reader.)
(b) A player may choose to abandon the game instead of paying antes. Such a player is dealt out for the entire remainder of the game. First option passes over his seat.
Enjoy!
--JMike
Guts high/low can be played with up to seven.
"First option" is initially the player to dealer's left. Each round, first option rotates one seat to the left.
In general, a round of the game looks like this. There is a "high pot" and a "low pot", that has been built of players' antes. The players are each holding from four to seven cards (all hole cards). An auction period takes place, beginning with first option. The first time around the table, each player may either pass, "declare" in any direction(s) that have not yet been declared, or challenge the player(s) who have declared. The auction remains open until each player has had one chance to challenge the last declarer.
Challenging a declaration means that the two players involved swap hands to establish who has the better hand, evaluated in that direction. (When evaluating for low, we happened to play 6432A no flush was the nut, but I don't think the specific low-evaluation method matters to the play of the game.) The loser pays the winner an amount equal to the size of that pot.
If a player declares in a direction and the auction ends with nobody having challenged him for that direction, he wins that direction's pot.
Declarations do not carry over from one round to the next.
The game works like this:
To begin with, each player antes into each pot, and receives four cards. There is an auction.
If at least one of the pots remains, then each player antes again into the remaining pot(s), everyone receives a fifth card, and there is an auction.
If at least one of the pots remains, then each player antes again into the remaining pot(s), everyone receives a sixth card, and there is an auction.
If at least one of the pots remains, then each player antes again into the remaining pot(s), everyone receives a seventh card, and there is an auction.
Here is the difference. After seven cards, if at least one of the pots remains, the cards are thrown in, the deck is shuffled, everyone antes into BOTH pots and receives four new cards, and there is an auction.
When both pots are empty, the game is over.
Remember that first option rotates one seat to the left after each auction.
When evaluating four-card combinations, there are no straights or flushes. 432A is the nut low.
When evaluating six- and seven-card combinations, the best (or worst) five-card combination is used.
As with other "pay an amount equal to the pot" games, it would be wise for the players to agree on a cap. We usually played to a $5 cap. The pot itself could grow to over $5, but the maximum amount one player would have to pay another was capped to $5.
Here is an example of how the game would work.
Six players each ante a nickel into both pots.
Player 1: T863
Player 2: 669A
Player 3: QJ43
Player 4: TT52
Player 5: QQ72
Player 6: 8432
Player 1 declares "low". Players 2 and 3 pass.
Player 4 declares "high". Player 5 challenges player 4 for high. (each looks at the other's hand and Player 4 pays Player 5 thirty cents.)
Player 6 challenges for low and wins. Players 1, 2, and 3 pass (i.e. they elect not to challenge for high.)
The auction period is now closed. As both pots have been declared for and challenged, they are both still active.
Each player antes another nickel into each pot and receives a fifth card:
Player 1: T8632
Player 2: 6669A
Player 3: QJ743
Player 4: TT752
Player 5: QQ872
Player 6: K8432
Player 2 is now first option and passes.
Player 3 passes. Player 4 passes. Player 5 declares "high". Player 6, on a bluff, declares "low". Player 1 challenges player 6 for low and wins sixty cents. Player 2 challenges player 5 for high and wins sixty cents. Players 3 and 4 pass and the auction is closed.
Both pots were challenged, so each player antes another nickel into both pots and receives a sixth card.
Player 1: T88632
Player 2: 666J9A
Player 3: QJ9743
Player 4: TT8752
Player 5: QQ8732
Player 6: K8432A
Player 3 is first option and passes. Players 4, 5, 6, and 1 pass. (Perhaps player 6, who made an eight low with a nut re-draw, was hoping that player 1 would declare for low.) Player 2 declares for high. Players 3, 4, 5, 6, and 1 pass.
Player 2 wins the high pot. The low pot remains.
Each player antes another nickel into the low pot and receives a seventh card.
Player 1: T88632A
Player 2: 666JJ9A
Player 3: QJT9743
Player 4: KTT8752
Player 5: KQQ8732
Player 6: K87432A
Player 4 is now first option and passes. Player 5 passes. Player 6 declares for low. Player 1 challenges player 6 for low and wins a dollar twenty. Player 2 attempts to declare for high and is chided by the rest of the table for taking an impossible action (you can't declare in a direction when the pot does not exist). Players 3, 4, and 5 pass.
The cards are thrown in, everyone antes a nickel into each pot, first option rotates to player 5, everyone gets four cards, and the hand continues. The low pot is now $1.50 and the high pot is $0.30.
Notes:
You may declare (or challenge) in one direction and declare (or challenge) in the other direction as part of the same round of the auction. You may also pass or declare in one direction at your first turn in the auction, and if someone after you declares in the other direction, you may challenge him in that direction at your next turn in the auction.
Players involved in a challenge are honor bound not to disclose information about the other's hand. (I think the possibility for such disclosure is the weak part of this game.)
The game must decide what policy to follow regarding abandonment. I recommend one of the following two policies:
(a) Players may not abandon the game. (Enforcement left as an exercise to the reader.)
(b) A player may choose to abandon the game instead of paying antes. Such a player is dealt out for the entire remainder of the game. First option passes over his seat.
Enjoy!
--JMike