Indian poker is a game in the guts family. It is called that because it takes gut to stay in, especially when you do not know the value of the hand you hold. The general rules of basic stud poker apply when you are playing 5 card stud Indian poker, with a slight modification.
5 card stud Indian poker is almost like playing blind Mans Bluff. This makes it the perfect party game. This makes it a very popular game with the college crowd. The number of players can be unlimited but it generally works best with only about 6-8 people. The game seems to work well for those who like drinking games as well (not that we are advocating playing for shots or beer) but this is what is going on at many parties across America.
The game is played with one standard deck of cards. Once the ante is placed, each person in the game is dealt one card. They are not allowed to look at the card but must place it on their foreheads so that the other players can see it. You will know what cards others have except your own cards. Betting is done in the “blind” that is why 5 card stud Indian poker is considered a guts game. If you look at your card you are out of the game forfeiting your ante.
Everyone has to decide whether they are out of the game or in it, at this point. Then they bet on their cards based entirely on what they see in the other players’ hands. Once betting is over cards are compared and the high card wins the pot. The game continues in the same manner as in the previous round. The cards are not reshuffled and this pattern of play continues until the entire deck has been used.
This is a game that is loved by many people because it is a challenge. Learning to read faces is a must to do well in 5 card stud Indian poker…and it does takes guts. The thing is you have to also know how to make your own face unreadable when gazing at other’s faces, because they are reading you, so if you are not careful, your face will tell them all that they want to know.
