How to Play Guts Poker

Guts is one of the simplest poker variations. Its simplicity can get an inexperienced player in a bind because Guts also can begin as a low-stakes game and develop into a high-stakes game.

Guts can be played with as few as 2 cards but it is usually played with 3 or 5 cards. In a three-card game, straights and flushes usually don't count. Then the highest hand is three aces. There are, however, three-card guts games that do allow straights and flushes. In those games straights are often higher than flushes. In five-card Guts, a Royal Flush is the highest hand.

Guts can actually be played in any draw poker game. The dealer declares beforehand that the game will be Guts Draw Poker. Then the game follows a combination of Draw Poker rules and Guts rules.

In Guts there are only two possible bets: "in" or "out". The declaration usually goes around the table ending with the dealer. This gives an advantage to the dealer so, there are two well-known variations of Guts designed to reduce the dealer's advantage. There are also variations of Guts designed to reduce the financial hit losing players receive.

• With the pot empty, each player antes.
  
  
• Every player receives the pre-determined number of cards.
  
  
• They look at their cards and declare "in" or "out".
  
  
• Players who declare "out" are simply out.
  
  
• Players who declare "in" show their hand. The winner wins the pot and the losers must match the pot. So, if three players stayed in, the new pot will be twice the old pot.
  
  
• When there is a hand with only one player declaring "in", s/he wins the entire pot.
  
  
• To begin the next game, everyone antes.

• Some games call for an ante before each round. If the pot is $10 and there is a $2 ante, then the new pot will be, say, $20 if there are five players.
  
  
• Some players like a simultaneous declaration. Players take a chip under the table. They place one hand over the table and open it. The hands with a chip are "in" and the empty hands are "out".
  
  
• Some tables play for a pot limit. If the actual pot is greater than the pot limit, the winner takes the limit and the losers match only their share of the winner's take. This can lead to reckless betting so some players think it actually plays to the weaker player's disadvantage.
  
  
• One of the more popular variations is a kitty. This is a shadow hand that doesn't bet. The winner must beat all the actual players' hands and also the kitty. If all players are out before the dealer declares s/he must be aware that s/he hasn't won until s/he beats the kitty.