How to Play Buy Your Own Card Poker

At your next home poker game, try playing a new variation of the popular seven card stud poker game, known as Buy Your Own Card Poker. In Buy Your Own Card Poker, there are only three wagering rounds, and you get to choose from four face up cards for each of your own face up cards during the game. Strategy in the game varies from trying to improve your own hand to playing defensive and preventing your opponents from improving their hands.

Buy Your Own Card Poker may be played by between three and seven players. Start the game by having each player pay an agreed upon ante into the pot, and then deal two cards face down to each player. Players then conduct a round of wagering, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.

For the next four rounds, there is no wagering. Instead the dealer places the draw deck in the center of the table and flips four cards face up in a row next to the draw deck. On a player's turn, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, he can buy any card he wishes for his hand or fold. The cost of the cards are 10 cents for the card next to the draw deck, 25 cents for the second card, 50 cents for the third card, and one dollar for the fourth card. After each player's turn, the cards shift one space to the left replacing the card that was purchased, and a new one dollar card is flipped up from the top of the draw deck. The purchases are paid into the pot, which is collected by the winner of the hand. Turns to purchase cards rotate clockwise around the table, with each purchased card placed face up in front of the buyer. This continues until each player has four face up cards and two face down cards.

Conduct a round of wagering after all players that have not folded purchase four cards. Once again this round starts with the player sitting directly to the left of the dealer. Deal one final card face down to each player and conduct a final wagering round. The player with the best five card poker hand is the winner.

Your choice of which card to purchase in this game can depend on two conditions. One is the ability to improve your hand and then other is to stop an opponent from picking up a card to make a pair or three of a kind. In general it takes at least three of a kind to win in Buy Your Own Card Poker, and frequently even a low full house can lose.