High Card Flush
High Card Flush is an exciting poker variant that pits players against the dealer, rather than against other players. The game is based on the ranking of “flush” hands, where all cards are in the same suit—either clubs, spades, hearts or diamonds.
How to Play
1. The game begins with each player placing an Ante bet to build up the pot. Players can also make two optional bets: the Flush Bonus and Straight Flush Bonus.
2. Once bets have been placed, the dealer distributes seven cards to each player and themselves, all face down.
3. Once they’ve received their cards, it’s time for players to evaluate hands. The key is to have a flush—a hand of cards all in the same suit—with as many cards as possible.
5. If players choose to raise their bet, the size of the bet must correspond with the size of their flush:
- Two, three, or four-card flush: raise may equal the Ante
- Five-card flush: raise may be double the Ante
- Six or seven card flush: raise may be triple the Ante
6. Once this final round of betting is over it’s time for the dealer to reveal their cards.
Know the hands
Understanding the hands of High Card Flush is relatively straightforward. The game scores either the flush with the most cards in it, or the higher-ranking flush of two similarly sized flushes. For example, a four-card flush of a K-Q-J-10 beats a four-card flush made of a 10-9-8-7
An “exception” to this can occur if there is an Ace involved since Aces are high and the game follows standard flush rules. For example, a flush of K-Q-J-10 will lose to a flush of A-2-3-4.
The Dealer’s Hand
After the final round of betting, the dealer must have at least a three-card flush containing a nine or higher to qualify.
If the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify:
The player wins their Ante bet. If they made a bonus bet, it pushes to the next round.
If the dealer’s hand qualifies:
It is compared to the player’s hand.
- If the player has a flush with more cards than the dealer, their Ante and raise bets pay even money (x1)
- If the player and dealer have flushes with the same number of cards, but the player’s flush contains higher value cards, bets are pushed to the next round.
- If the dealer has either the flush with the most cards or the higher-ranking flush, the player loses all bets and the round ends.
Odds
Like all poker games, the odds in High Card Flush depend on the random distribution of cards from a deck. Only fate decides how they’ll fall.
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