3 card brag rules
There are many, many variation and rules to this game and each card school has it’s own.. This makes it complicated to get one set of rules that apply to the game as a whole.
I will describe below the rules of the game i play and have done since I was about 13. At the bottom I have shared some links to another sites which explain the rules further.
Getting Started:
At the beginning of the game the cards are shuffled and each player at the table puts an agreed amount into the pot, lets say £1 for an example.
Each player is then dealt 3 cards face down. The player to the left of the dealer is 1st to act. There is no checking in brag, it’s has got to be a bet. At this point players can either look at their cards or decide not to. If you have not seen your cards you can play the hand “blind” this means all player who have seen their cards are playing open. Players who are “open” must pay double what ever the blind bet is.
The betting continues around the table in a clockwise direction and each player must bet the same as the person before them to stay in the hand. The choices you have are to fold aka “stack” bet or raise. The stakes are usually decided before the game starts as to a minimum and maximum bet. often there is no limit.
The betting carries on until 2 players are left and the rest have “stacked” their cards, at this point players can call to see who has the best hand or continue to bet and raise.
Important: you can never call a blind man. If one player is blind and one player is open the open better must continue until either the blind better looks, in which case he could call or wait until the blind man calls him.
Some rules say to call you have to put twice as much as the other player has bet into the pot to see who has won. We play you just put the same, as i said card school vary.
Once the call has happened the two remaining players turn their cards and the highest hand wins.
See hand rankings.
The winner scoops the pot and usually laughs or takes the urine from the others at this point, all cards are placed on the bottom of the pack and the dealer position moves one place to the left.
Important: The cards are never shuffled again until a prial comes out aka 3 of a kind.
House rules:
We play the following but again it varies so make sure to get the rules straight before starting a game.
If you run out of money in an active hand you can place your cards on the pot “cover the pot” the other players continue in a “side pot” much the same as being all in at texas hold-em.
Some play you can borrow money to carry on in a hand and some don’t, check the rules before starting!
Also if you have covered the pot and lost you can’t suddenly pull £100 from you pocket to carry on the next hand. Having no money in brag means HAVING NO MONEY!
important: Some card schools will not allow you to cover the pot, this is where the arguments can start. It is very important to get all rules straight when starting or joining a game of brag, I know I say this a lot but it is so true. No covering the pot usually means the player with the most money wins!! Avoid these games unless you have a pocket full of cash and more available quickly.
That’s how we play it. Below is a link to the hand ranking page, check it out to make sure you know if a run beats a flush!
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