Guts (card Game) - Common Variants

Common Variants

straights and flushes

In some variants, straights and flushes count for two-card guts (making them higher than other no-pair hands). In others, straights and flushes do not count for three-card guts.

high three of a kind

Some variations for three-card guts rank three of a kind above a straight flush, but the latter occurs less frequently.

partial hands

Each player receives all but one card face down, and if they are in, they receive their last card face up.

dummy hands

Many variants include a dummy hand that must be beaten if only one person stays in. In some variants, rather than a dummy hand, you must have a pair or better. In others, the dummy hand always plays against the other hands, and may be called "Granny", "The Kitty", "Herb", or "The Pot".

The Batey

one community card is flipped over from the top of the deck after all hands have been dealt which each player uses in making their hand. Named after its inventor, Justin Batey

dealer option

In variants where players do not declare all at the same time, the dealer declares last; if no other player has stayed in, the other players sometimes have another chance to declare and challenge the dealer. With this variation, there is generally no dummy hand.

chicken fee

If no one stays in for a hand (more common in variants where there is a dummy hand to beat), everyone has to pay another ante on the next deal.

Henry Rule

Similar to the chicken fee. If no one stays in, the player with the hand that would have won must match the pot.

One low "in" and wild

In this three card game, everyone is dealt one card face up. The player with the lowest card face up is automatically in, but that number is wild.

Two low "in" and wild

In this three card game, everyone at one point is dealt a card face up. The people with the two lowest cards are automatically in but these card numbers are also wild.(If more than one person has the same number card, then more than two people can be in.)

Hi-Lo

When deciding to stay in, each player also indicates high or low, usually by having a high-valued chip in hand for high, low-valued for low, or none for folding. If multiple players stay in, the best hand among those indicating high gets half the pot and the others have to match the pot. Similarly for low. Usually played with a dummy hand which has to be beaten in the appropriate direction to take the pot. If no dummy hand is played, a single player choosing high can take half of the pot uncontested even if other (low) players are in the game. Some games also allow "Hi-Lo" option, usually indicated by both a high-valued chip and a low-valued chip in hand at the reveal. The player going "Hi-Lo" competes amongst both the high players and the low-players, and is usually only a good idea with hands such as ace-deuce.

No Peek

A pure gambling game, each player gets two (or three) cards, but cannot look at them before deciding to stay in.

Winner Takes All

The winner of a round gets the pot and all the money matched by losers. This variant is usually played with a dummy hand and a chicken fee. The pot will only grow if there is a chicken fee and no players stay in, or if there is a dummy hand and the sole remaining player loses to it.