by Mary Ashton
Wednesday ,9 Sep 2009
If you're looking for an occasional change to your Texas Hold’em game, then why not try out Soko Poker? We've got all the poker rules, very easy to pick up
Soko Poker, otherwise known as Canadian Stud Poker, is the perfect solution to players looking for a refreshing change from the standard old Texas Hold’em or Stud Poker. It is not at all difficult to pick up, and below you'll find the required playing instructions. Enjoy!
Soko Poker Rules:
- Soko is based on 5 Card Stud Poker
- Up to 8 players can participate
- Blinds must be met
- In cases of a tie, cards can be ranked according to suit in the following ascending order: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.
Soko Poker Game Structure:
1. Players must ante up (the ante is generally 1/3 of the small bet)
2. Initial hand: Each player is dealt 2 initial cards, one of which is face up and the other is face down.
3. 2nd Street: the player with the lowest face up card must make a "Bring In" bet (a forced bet worth at least twice the ante). Other players continue betting until an entire round is complete.
4. 3rd Street: each player is dealt a third card face up, and then a round of betting beginning with the player with the highest face up card begins.
5. 4th Street: each player is dealt a fourth card face up, and a round of betting beginning with the player with the highest face up card begins.
6. 5th Street: each player is dealt a fifth and final card face up, and a round of betting beginning with the player with the highest face up card begins.
7. Showdown: players still in the game must now reveal their final hands, which include all 5 of the cards dealt to them. The player with the highest ranking final hand wins the pot.
Soko Poker Hand Rankings:
In Soko Poker, using only 4 of the 5 cards to a hand to make a flush or straight is allowed. This means that hands that were otherwise just high cards with a kicker are much stronger, such that the final hand ranking is as follows:
1. Straight flush
2. Four of a kind
3. Full house
4. Flush
5. Straight
6. Three of a kind
7. Two pair
8. Four flush
9. Four Straight
10. Pair
11. High card