Chicago Poker Rules

Chicago poker is a brand of Seven Card Stud and is basically the same, with the exception that the winning hand gets only half the pot. The additional twist is that the player with the highest spade hole card receives the remaining half.

The dealing process is very much the same as regular Seven Card Stud. Each player gets two cards face down and a third face up. A betting round follows, based on Seven Card Stud rules. In the first betting round, the player with the lowest card must start the betting with either a bring-in or full bet. The next steps see the following rounds (called “Streets”) occur. Once the first betting round is complete, a fourth, (face-up) card is dealt.

This is followed by another round of betting, but this time starting with the player with the best hand (as recognized by the dealer). A player showing a pair may also bet double the normal amount. This betting round is followed by a fifth and sixth deal of a face-up card to each player, each as well followed by a further round of betting. As in regular Stud poker, a seventh and final card is dealt face down to each player, and the players do a final bet. The players finally turn over their hole cards and the best hand wins half of the pot, with the player with the highest spade hole card winning the other half. In a case where no player has a spade hole card, the highest hand takes the entire pot.

The basic strategy is similar to that used in Seven Card Stud. Given the spade hole card twist though, a player with the highest spade hole card would want to bet heavily given their ability to win the entire pot. The best guideline here is that players need to watch the spades on the board, as this gives an indication of those spades that can be hole cards. Considering this, along with spades they may have, can give a pretty fair indication of the possibility of winning the entire pot.

If you like Chicago Poker, try learning other poker rules here.