Soko, also known as Canadian Stud, is a 5 card Poker variant and is best played with up to 8 players. There is an ante and there are forced blinds like most of the other poker games. The small blind starts with the person sitting to the left of the dealer while the big blind is made by the player sitting next to the person making the small blind. This is done to ensure a pot remains even if there are no bids made.
The players are dealt two cards each, one face up and one face down. The other three cards are dealt in succession. After every card is dealt, a round of betting is followed.
After the first two cards are dealt, the player with the highest face up card makes the forced bet or “Bring In” bet. This bet generally has the double amount of the ante. To determine who has to pay the “Bring In” in the event of a tie, the cards are ranked by suit. Spades are the highest, and then hearts, then Diamonds and the lowest could be clubs. Once the betting ends, another card is dealt face up.
This round is played exactly like 5 card stud. Each card is turned before its respective player and when all players have their cards betting starts again. This process repeats for the next three rounds. After all bets are in, the showdown takes place. The kickers count in 5 Card Stud Soko Poker Game and the hands with the higher kickers often win the pot.
The biggest difference in this game that sets it uniquely different from regular stud is that here you count 4 card flushes and straights as well. These fall into the hand rankings between one and two pair with the Flush being the higher of the two.
