Editing Poker

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Poker at Icesus

Introduction
============

The poker table is located in the Stag of Erwat Wayhouse.

Icesus poker is played with a standard 52-card deck, no jokers or other 
wild cards. The ace always plays high, ie straights A2345 are not 
possible.

Options During the Betting Round
================================

Check - a bet of zero that does not forfeit interest in the pool.
    
Bet   - a nonzero bet greater than preceeding bets that all successive 
        players must match or exceed or else forfeit all interest in the pool.

Call  - A nonzero bet equal to a preceeding bet that maintains a player's 
        interest in the pool.

Fold  - A surrender of interest in the pool in response to another 
        player's bet, accompanied by the loss of one's cards and 
        previous bets.

Betting proceeds in a clockwise circle until each player has either
called all bets or folded. Icesus poker has only one betting round,
as well as only one toss-and-draw phase which preceeds the betting round.

Hand Rankings
=============

At the showdown, players still in the game compare their hands according
to the following rankings:

1. STRAIGHT FLUSH, five cards of the same suit, such as 76543 of hearts.
   Ranked by the top card. The ace CANNOT play low.

2. FOUR OF A KIND, four cards of the same rank accompanied by another card,
   a 'kicker'. Ranked by the quads, so that 44442 beats 3333K.

3. FULL HOUSE, three cards of one rank accompanied by two other, such as
   777JJ. Ranked by the triplets, so that 44422 beats 333KK.

4. FLUSH, five cards of the same suit. Ranked by the top card, then the
   next card and so on. suits are not used to break ties.

5. STRAIGHT, five cards in a sequence. The ace CANNOT play low. Ranked
   by the top card.

6. THREE OF A KIND, three cards of the same rank and two kickers of 
   different ranks, such as KKK84. Ranked by the triplet.

7. TWO PAIR, two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and a kicker
   of a third rank. Ranked by the top pair, then the bottom pair and 
   finally the kicker, so that KK449 beats any of QQJJA, KK22Q and KK445.

8. ONE PAIR, two cards of one rank accompanied by three kickers of different
   ranks, such as AAK53. Ranked by the pair, followed by each kicker in turn, 
   so that AAK53 beats AAK52.

9. HIGH CARD, any hand that does not qualify as one of the better hands above,
   such as KJ542 of mixed suits. Ranked by the top card, then the second card,
   and so on. Suits are not used to break ties.

Suits are not used to break ties. In the case of a tie, the pool is split
equally among the winning hands.
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[[category:Player's_Handbook]]