Faldo Says “Yay” or “Nay” to Common Dealer’s Choice Games – Part X

There are other poker games besides what is dealt in casinos and tournaments. The casino games are there because of their speed and simplicity in dealing. More hands equal more rake for the house.

But there are some fun, entertaining and challenging poker games you can deal in a home game, which make you have to think outside “the flop” sometimes.

The description of the following games in this series is Faldo’s opinion only. Other may like my take on a game and some will not. That’s fine. It’s all good. Here we go:

Death Wheel

This game was invented by that great poker mind, Hlam14, aka, Herbavor. Four cards are dealt to everyone (‘bonus’ 5-card option is available to the dealer, providing there are enough cards in the deck.

A wheel of six cards face down is place on the table and betting begins. Players make their hands using all the cards in their hands and adding any three cards ‘touching’ (on either side of the main card you choose) on the wheel.

Cards are turned up on the wheel two at a time and betting occurs after each ‘flop’. The dealer will flop two cards on each side of the wheel, then the other two cards on the opposite side he just flopped, and then finally the single two cards at the top and bottom, closing the wheel.

You can also deal an eight card wheel, turning two cards on the right, two cards on the left, then the top and then the bottom for 5 total betting rounds. Or turn four, two, two. Whatever, just so the dealer announces before dealing.

This game can be played high, low or Hi-Lo. In Hi-lo games, you players must simultaneously declare whether you are going Hi, Lo or both ways (go both ways, you have to win both ways or your hand is folded).

This game started out as a crowd favorite at NPP home games, with plenty of action – and then mysteriously, the players turned on the game. So much so, NPP players banished Herbavor to Iowa, banning him from NPP games. Now he is forced to live with the corn(hole) people.

Faldo still says ‘Yay’ to this game.

Gridlock

Don’t remember who brought this game to NPP (maybe Faldo), but a player at NPP got the nickname Gridlock (Jwr22 on the Walk of Fame), because it became the ONLY game he would deal in the home games!

Four cards are dealt to everyone (‘bonus’ 5-card option is available to the dealer, providing there are enough cards in the deck).

A window of nine cards placed in a tic-tac-toe formation on the table and the betting begins. Three cards are turned over on a top or side row, and another round of betting. Then three cards are turned over on the opposite end of the row or column selected, with another betting round – and then finally the center row or column with a final betting round.

The game is played high, where you use any two cards in your hand and any three in a row, column or on the diagonal (nine flops!). The twist is, the player left holding the highest card of the suit of the middle of the grid, gets half the pot – so obviously Aces are a premium card to hold.

Faldo says ‘Yay’.