Manila Hold ‘Em Poker

The Pack

The standard 52-card pack is stripped of all cards below 7 to make a deck of 32 cards (7,8,9,10, J,Q,K,A)

Object of the Game

The goal of each player is to win the pot, which contains all the bets that the players have made in any one deal. A player makes a bet in hopes that they have the best hand, or to give the impression that they do. In most Poker versions, the top combination of five cards is the best hand.

The Deal

For this version of High Low Poker, each player receives two cards face down, and one card is dealt face up to the center of the table.

The Play

There is five betting rounds, with a new card being dealt face up to the center of the table between each betting round. The player must use their two hole cards and three of the five community cards from the center of the table to make the best hand.

Because of the stripped deck, a flush beats a full house. Also, an ace may not be played low for a straight (that is, the hand A-7-8-9-10 is not a straight in Manila)

Poker Hands

Straight Flush - Five cards of the same suit in sequence.

Four of a Kind - This is the next highest hand and consists of four cards of equal rank.

Full House -  2 cards of equal rank + 3 cards of equal rank (i.e. 3 Kings and 2 tens)

Flush - Five cards all of the same suit, but not all in sequence, is a flush. An example is Q, 10, 9, 8, and 7 of clubs.

Straight - Five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit is a straight. An example is K♥, Q♣, J♠, 10♦, 9♥.

Three of a Kind - This combination contains three cards of the same rank, and the other two cards each of a different rank, such as three jacks, a seven, and a four.

Two Pairs - This hand contains a pair of one rank and another pair of a different rank, plus any fifth card of a different rank, such as Q, Q, 7, 7, 8.

One Pair - This frequent combination contains just one pair with the other three cards being of different rank. An example is 10, 10, K, 9, 8.

No Pair - This very common hand contains "nothing." None of the five cards pair up, nor are all five cards of the same suit or consecutive in rank. When more than one player has no pair, the hands are rated by the highest card each hand contains, so that an ace-high hand beats a king-high hand, and so on.