Rules for Playing Cincinnati Poker

Cincinnati is a variation of 7 Card Stud that is easy to learn and played at home. Read a full game overview and rules here.

Cincinnati is a poker variant with more playing options than other variations, because each player is dealt more hole/pocket cards than usual. It is a low stakes game that is played only casually, and the following overview of the game explains all its basic rules:

1. The dealer deals 5 pocket cards face down to all players in a clockwise direction, and then one face up card known as the “Door”.

2. The first round of betting, the “Bring-in”, requires the player with the lowest showing door card to post a mandatory initial bet, usually half the small stake amount. The bring-ins purpose is mainly to build the pot. Betting follows by additional players in a clockwise direction, who must either call, fold, or raise the bring-in bet.

3. When all bets have been made, a 2nd up card is dealt to each player called the “3rd Street”. The highest showing hand opens the betting round, and bets and raises are limited to the lower stake amount.

4. The next round is called “4th Street”, in which a 3rd face card is dealt to each player. The highest face card opens the betting round, and betting is limited from now onwards to the higher stake amount.

5. Known as the “5th Street”, this betting round works exactly the same as 4th Street.

6. In the “River” round of betting, a 5th and final card is dealt face down to each player, and the highest showing hand opens the betting.

7. In the “Showdown”, all players must reveal their final hands, and in Cincinnati poker a hand is made of 5 cards, using either a combination of hole/pocket cards and board cards, or all 5 hole/board cards. In Cincinnati there are 6 possible outcomes when making a hand:

(b) All 5 board cards
(c) 4 hole cards + 1 board card
(d) 3 hole cards + 2 board cards
(e) 2 hole cards + 3 board cards
(f) 1 hole card + 4 board cards

The best hand is awarded the pot, and determined according to standard Poker hand rankings.