Rules

Object of the game :

You have to guess which player has the best poker hand during each of the betting rounds. You only see one card of each player.

Game overview :

• A game of Detective Poker is played in 2 rounds.
• A round is made of 3 hands in a 3 player game and 4 hands with 4 players.
• A hand is made of 4 betting rounds (Preflop, Flop, Turn and River), then a scoring phase occurs.
• At the beginning of each hand, the dealer shuffles the deck and gives each player two cards. One only seen by the player and the other one only seen by the other players.

Mandatory Action : At the beginning off each betting round, players have to bet one after another between 1 and 3 chips of their own on the player's board they think has the best hand at the moment. They may bet on their own board.

Optional : Players may put an action card face down under their bet.

At the end of the hand, player's cards and action cards are shown and points are awarded.

Playing a hand

• Once the cards are dealt, the player left to the dealer bets, followed by the next players clockwise.
• They bet between 1 and 3 chips on the player's board they think has the best preflop hand. They may add an action card face down under their bet.
• Once every bet has been made, the dealer burns a card and deals the flop.
• Then the second player left to the dealer bets, followed by the next players clockwise. They bet the same way as preflop.
• Turn and River are the same.
• It is mandatory to bet at least one chip on each betting round. Therefore, only one 3 chips bet is allowed per hand. Players have to keep enough chips to bet on the turn and river.

Scoring phase

• At the end of the hand, players reveal simultaneously their cards.
• Points are awarded for each correct preflop bet. Action cards are taken into account.
• Each chip accurately bet counts as one point.
• If players tie hands, they all score.
• The same scoring process is applied for the flop, turn and river bets.
• The deck is shuffled again and players get their chips and action cards back.
• The dealer shifts clockwise and a new hand begins.

End of the game

• Winner is the person with the most points at the end of 2 rounds.
• In case of a tie, the player with the most action cards in hand wins.
• In case of another tie, it's a shared victory.

Poker Hands

1. Straight Flush : Five cards of sequential rank, all of the same suit.
2. Four of a kind (Quads) : Four cards of the same rank.
3. Full house : Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
4. Flush : Five cards all of the same suit, not all of sequential rank.
5. Straight : Five cards of sequential rank, not all of the same suit.
6. Three of a kind (Trips) : Three cards of one rank.
7. Two Pairs : Two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
8. Pair : Two cards of one rank.
9. High Card : None of the above.

In case of similar hands, highest rank wins : Queens full of fours beats tens full of kings. Ace high flush beats jack high flush. King high straight beats 7 high straight, ...

In case of similar quads, trips, two pairs or pair, the other cards (called the kickers) are used to break ties : AA852 beats AA763.

A poker hand can never consist of more than 5 cards. On the turn or on the river, players will make their hand with the 5 best cards among the 6 or 7 available.

Action Cards

• +1: Add 1 point if your bet is correct.
• Clockwise: You bet on the next clockwise player instead.
• Bluff: You bet on the weakest player instead.
• Empty: No effect, but can fool other players.

Expert Mode

• If your +1 action bet is wrong, you lose 1 point.
• If a card dealt on the flop, turn or river has the same rank (2 kings, 2 sevens,...) of one already dealt on the board, it is discarded and a new one is dealt. This process is done as many times as necessary.
• Hence, Full Houses and Quads do not exist in expert mode.