Anaconda or “Pass the Trash”
As anaconda poker is the form of seven card stud poker game, every player is dealt seven cards after an initial betting round, each player passes three of his cards to the player on the left. (One of Anaconda’s cruel ironies is that in some cases you might have to break up a full house or a straight.) After receiving the new cards from the other player, each player selects five to make a hand and lays them face down in front of himself in the order in which he wants to reveal them. There is then another round of betting and then each poker player turns over one of his cards. The player to the dealer’s left begins the betting. In each round, all players turn over a card and bet. After the fifth card is turned over, there is a winner the highest hand.
The strategy in this game lies in the laying out of the cards and the betting. Some players reveal their strengths immediately and others let their poker hands develop slowly. In many cases, the game hinges on that final card. For instance, if you have a straight, and you’ve revealed 10, J, Q, K. your opponents will have to guess whether you are holding a 9 or Ace to fill your straight. You should also try to remember what you passed to your opponents and what cards have already been exposed this will give you a better idea of what your opponents are holding.
Spit in the Ocean
Split in the Ocean is a variation of five-card draw. Every player is dealt four cards face down instead of the normal five. The fifth card is dealt face up on the table and can be used by all the players. After one round of betting, starting with the player on the dealer’s left, each player can draw up to two cards from the deck. After the draw, there is a second and final round of betting, followed by the showdown.
Twin Beds
Twin Beds is a combination of draw poker, Split in the Ocean, and Community games that can be played with three to ten people. Every player is dealt four cards face down. Then two rows of five cards each are dealt face down. There is a round of betting and then the dealer turns over one card from each row followed by another round of betting. This process continues until all the cards are turned over. However, the last card to be turned up from each row is wild, so if a 2 shows up in the last card, all 2s are now wild. Players may use their own cards plus up to five cards from one and only one of the rows to make the best hand; they cannot use cards from both rows to help their hand.
Cincinnati
In Cincinnati each player is dealt five cards (four is also an option) and five community cards are placed face down on the table. The common hand is revealed one card at a time followed by a betting round after each card is exposed. Players construct their best hand out of all ten cards.