If you play a lot of traditional poker such as classic Hold ‘em you might end up feeling like you need to play something new and different. This is where this series of blogs comes in, and how this time around we’re going to tell you all about Guts Poker. Also simply known as Guts, this game strips down poker to the essentials - it’s you and a two-card hand (or three cards, depending on the version you’re playing) against the other players for a chance to win the pot. It’s a game that’s as volatile as it is exciting, so let’s get going with our telling how to play this poker gem.
The Basics of Guts Poker
Like regular poker, Guts is played with a standard 52-card deck. A dealer hands out the card, and since it’s played with two cards it can technically be played with up to 26 players at a time. That said, we recommend playing with anything from 5 to 10 cards for the optimal experience, at least in our experience.
Guts poker reduces the player’s decisions to one of two options - in or out. So essentially, you place your ante, get your two cards from the dealer, then decide whether you’ll go for it or not. Cards are ranked in the traditional way, starting from the Ace followed by the King, Queen, Jack, and so on, with a pair of Aces being the highest-ranking hand. Note that this can differ between variants, but we’ll detail those later on. The player with the best hand wins the pot, and the losers need to place a bet that matches the pot’s value. This is the Guts’ defining rule, one that makes it a truly a high risk, high reward game!
How a Game of Guts Poker Works
Here we’re going to detail how the typical round of two-card Guts works.
- Each player places an initial ante bet worth a set amount.
- The dealer hands out 2 face-down cards to each player.
- The players see their cards and immediately declare if they are in or out in a showdown.
- Declaring whether one is in or out can take different forms. In some games one has to open their fist to show a chip to declare they’re in (while keeping the fist closed shows they’re out), while others have the players who are in show their cards on the table while those who are out retain their hand.
- The player with the best hand wins the pot.
- Any player who wants to stay in the game must place a bet matching the value of the pot.
Scoring in Guts Poker
Scoring in Guts Poker
This is how hands are scored in 2-card Guts poker:
- Ace is high.
- Any pair of equal cards beats an unequal pair.
- A higher pair beats a lower pair.
- In the case of two non-pair hands the hand with the highest card winds.
- If two hands have equal high cards the hand whose other card is higher wins.
As such, A-A is the highest hand, then K-K, Q-Q, and so on down to 2-2. Following that there are A-K, A-Q, A-J, ... , A-2, K-Q, K-J, ... ,K-2, Q-J, ... down to the lowest hand, 3-2.
Guts Poker Variations
The simplicity of Guts poker allows for a great number of variations. You probably won’t find all of these at your favourite online poker sites, but we’re sure you’ll enjoy many of these.
Three-Card Guts
The most common variant after two-card Guts, this game has the dealer hand out three cards with which to form simplified versions of classic poker cards. These are ranked in the following way:
- Three of a Kind (strongest)
- Straight Flush
- Straight
- Flush
- Pair
- Three Singletons
Kitty or Ghost
Want a variant of Guts with even more challenge? This version adds an extra hand known as the kitty or ghost that belongs to none of the players yet is still shown in the final showdown. If this ghost hand happens to be the strongest then all players must match the pot for the next round.
Two Plus One
This variant starts with each player getting two cards. Players declare if they are in or out, and if they are in each receives a third card. Hands are then ranked like they are in three-card guts. Players who are in typically have to pay an extra ante for the third card, and following that they need to go through another round of declaring whether they are in or out.
Four-Two-Two
In this variant players get four cards face-down.Twos are wild, and players who declare they are in (by holding a coin in their closed fist) get two more cards face up. This means each player has six cards, which they use to make the best five-card hand. The game ends when one player remains in to win the whole pot.
Four-Two-Three
A different take on four-two-two where players who are in get three face up cards to form the best five-card hand.
Try Your Guts With This Poker Variant!
Guts is not very common in online poker sites, which is a shame since it makes for a great palate cleanser during poker nights. It is a fast-paced game that can lead to big potential wins, even if it does lack the strategic aspect that makes Hold ‘em such a favourite. Whichever version of this game you want to play, just keep in mind that you need the guts to know when to declare that you’re in or out! While you’re at it, always remember to play responsibly, and to never chase your losses. Have fun with Guts and let us know which variant is your favourite!
