OBJECTIVE OF INDIAN POKER: Hold the highest or lowest card in order to win the pot.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3-7 players
NUMBER OF CARDS: standard 52-card
RANK OF CARDS: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
TYPE OF GAME: Poker
AUDIENCE: Adults
INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN POKER
Indian Poker or it is sometimes referred to as Blind Man’s Bluff, is a poker game in which players hold their cards to their foreheads. This is so that players can see all of their opponent’s hands but not their own.
The name Indian Poker refers to several games with a similar mechanism of card holding, however, they have variations on the number of cards in a hand and betting mechanisms. Essentially, you may apply this feature to numerous variations of poker: Stud, Hold’Em, Poker with two or more cards, Poker with Two Hands, etc. Below are the rules to One-Card Poker.
The name- Indian Poker- is not in reference to India. Rather, it is a crude observation of the similarities between the way the cards look on the forehead and a Native American headdress.
THE PLAY
The Deal
In the most simplistic version of the game- the presumed original version- players place an ante and are dealt a single card each. The cards are dealt face-down. Players grab their cards, being careful to keep the face of it away from their eyes. This is so that they do not see what they were dealt. After, players hold the cards to their foreheads so that other players can see them.
Betting
After the deal, there is a round of betting.
During gameplay in poker, when it is your turn to bet you have three options:
- Call. You may call by betting the amount wagered by a previous player. For example, if you bet 5 cents and another player raises the bet amount to a dime (raises 5 cents), you may call on your turn by paying the pot 5 cents, thus matching the 10 cent bet amount.
- Raise. You may raise by first betting the amount equal to the current wager and then bet more. This increases the wager or bet amount on the hand which other players must match if they wish to remain in the game.
- Fold. You may fold by laying down your cards and not betting. You do not have to put money in the pot but you do sit out on that hand. You forfeit any money wagered and have no opportunity to win the pot.
Betting rounds continue until all players have called, folded, or raised. If a player raises, once the raise has been called by all remaining players, and there was no other raise, the betting round ends.
Showdown
After betting concludes the showdown commences. The player with the highest ranking card takes the pot. If there is a tie, they split the pot, there is no ranking of suits.
Players may also play low card takes the pot, or that the highest ranking and lowest ranking card holder split the pot.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
If you enjoy Indian Poker you might want to try to play it online? Check out our page about new Indian casinos to learn more and find a top list of the best choices.
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