5 Card Poker Shots

There is nothing like being young. And there is nothing like being young and bored on a Saturday night. Especially when you are in college, and get together with your buddies who are also bored on a Saturday night. That is usually a formula for life long memories that will be anything but boring!

When you are in college, it is pretty inevitable that you will find yourself strapped for cash. That’s not to say that you won’t still find yourself drinking, playing poker, or bo…

There is nothing like being young. And there is nothing like being young and bored on a Saturday night. Especially when you are in college, and get together with your buddies who are also bored on a Saturday night. That is usually a formula for life long memories that will be anything but boring!

When you are in college, it is pretty inevitable that you will find yourself strapped for cash.

That’s not to say that you won’t still find yourself drinking, playing poker, or both! It’s funny how it works out that you will not have money to eat or play in a real cash poker game, but you will always find some liquor in the house. (Or will somehow scrape together enough money for a 12 pack of beer.)

During times of strife like this, my friends and I would play a game called 5 Card Poker Shots. The game involved no money, but did include shot glasses for each person.

The rules of the game were very simple. Every one gets dealt 5 cards. You are allowed to trade up to 3 cards when it is your turn. Every one except the person with the winning hand has to do a shot.

I recall one night where vodka was the drink of choice as host Tommy had 2 bottles of it in his kitchen (or so we thought). My roommate Jimmy was with me that night, which always makes for an entertaining evening.

Jimmy loves to play poker, but loves even more to drink. He is always the guy that you can find doing a keg stand or doing a beer bong. He is also the instigator of the group, known for calling you a pansy (along with all sorts of other names I will refrain from), if you can’t hold your liquor.

On this night, Tommy sat right next to Jimmy and said he would be pouring the drinks if someone else would deal. Little did I know that Jimmy was about to be taken for a ride.

On the ensuing hand, the glasses were filled as Jimmy said “Drink up losers” and downed his shot. As everyone else drank, they all had a puzzled look on their face while Tommy made a face to all at the table except Jimmy. Jimmy also began blurting “I wonder which one of you pansies is going to puke first, sure won’t be me,” as he laughed and checked his cards.

Understanding the look that Tommy had secretly given us, everyone kept drinking and playing cards making small talk as the bottles began to empty. After an hour or so, Jimmy started to rock back in his chair making odd breathing noises as well as spitting.

Halfway through his 15th shot or so he began to vomit all over himself complaining that he did not feel well. Stumbling over to the couch he passed out while Tommy got out a couple of pens and his digital camera.

You can pretty much put together what happened. Turns out Tommy had filled one of the bottles with water and had been pouring the vodka only in Jimmy’s glass. This night everyone knew which pansy was puking first.

3 Card Poker Strategy

 

When you break out the 52-card deck and deal a hand of 3-card poker, the first strategy you need is a firm understanding of the rules. Rather than competing against other players, you are competing against the dealer. You need a better hand than the dealer (and at least a pair) to win. Each of you is dealt three cards, and the cards are shuffled after each hand. Because there are fewer ways to make a straight with 3 cards than a flush, straights rank higher. Aces are high or …

When you break out the 52-card deck and deal a hand of 3-card poker, the first strategy you need is a firm understanding of the rules. Rather than competing against other players, you are competing against the dealer.

You need a better hand than the dealer (and at least a pair) to win. Each of you is dealt three cards, and the cards are shuffled after each hand. Because there are fewer ways to make a straight with 3 cards than a flush, straights rank higher. Aces are high or low.

You can make two bets: the Ante and the Pair Plus. The Ante is the fee charged to you for playing the hand. The Pair Plus is your bet that you will get a hand with a pair or higher. You don’t have to make both bets, but you do at least have to bet the Ante to stay in the game.

You ante when you put your bet on the game table’s Ante spot. Both you and the dealer are dealt three cards face down. Your next decision? Are these cards good enough for you to bet or should you fold? Fold and lose the ante. Bet and you place your bet that equals the ante in the game table’s Play spot. Win and you get the Ante and the Pair Plus payouts.

The dealer has to have a Queen or better to stay in the game. If not, you get payment on their ante only if it pays even money (1 to 1) – and as long as you didn’t fold.

Ante Payout

– A straight gets a 1 to 1 payout.
– A three of a kind gets a 4 to 1 payout.
– A straight flush gets a 5 to 1 payout.

Pair Plus Payout

– A pair gets a 1 to 1 payout.
– A flush gets a 4 to 1 payout.
– A straight gets a 6 to 1 payout.
– A three of a kind gets a 30 to 1 payout.
– A straight flush gets a 40 to 1 payout.

Remember these tips to help your strategy:

– If you have a Queen or better, bet the Pair Plus. If not, fold.
– A dealer will get a Queen about 66% of the time.
– The house has a 3.4% advantage.