A fun poker variant at some of our trusted poker sites, Follow the Queen adds an interesting twist on the familiar 7 Card Stud poker formula - wild cards. These wilds are cards that can change several times during a round, turning weak hands into strong ones and previously powerful hands into weak ones with the flip of a card. Do you enjoy games that keep you guessing until the end? Then Follow the Queen might be the type of poker that’s right for you, and we’re going to tell you all about how to play it.
The Basics of Follow the Queen Poker
As we said in our introduction, Follow the Queen is a variant on 7 Card Stud and is played a lot like this popular type of poker. It is played with a single 52-card deck, and can involve up to eight players at the table. Like 7 Card Stud, the aim remains that of making the best five card hand with the seven cards dealt to you. There are no community cards but there’s this variant’s main addition, the wilds, that bring a welcome change to the game structure.
Which card is the wild? It’s, as the name suggests, the Queen. Every time a Queen is dealt face up anywhere on the table the next card will be dealt face up. In addition, all cards of the same rank will become wilds. If another Queen is dealt face up after then then the next card dealt face up replaces the previous card as wild. In the case a Queen is the last card dealt face up then only Queens can act as a wild card.
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Follow the Queen Poker Betting Structure
When it comes to betting, Follow the Queen poker is typically played with a Fixed Limit structure. This means all bets and raises are placed in predetermined increments according to the stakes of the table. If you’re playing at a €1/€2 table then bets are raised in increments at the low end of the stakes, with betting starting at €1, then raising to €2, then €3, and so on. In the final three rounds bets are raised on the high end of stakes, in the case €2. A maximum of four raises are allowed per betting round.
In addition, at the start of each hand each player places an ante bet in the pot. This is a small amount of anything from 10 to 25% of the low-end stake, so in this €1/€2 game the ante will be between €0.10 and €0.25.
How to Play Follow the Queen Poker
How to Play
A game of Follow the Queen poker follows these steps:
- Each player places their ante bet in the pot as mentioned above.
- Each player is dealt two cards face down (hole cards) and a third card that’s face up (door card).
- The player with the lowest value door card places a “Bring In” bet. If two players have the same lowest card then the lowest card is decided by the lowest suit. The Bring In bet is typically half of the low-end stake.
- After the Bring In bet is placed the first round of betting starts, with bets placed clockwise around the table. During betting players can:
- Call - Place a bet of the same size as agreed.
- Raise - Increase the betting amount.
- Fold - Abandon the hand and lose their bet.
- All-in - Bet all remaining chips.
- Once betting returns to the Bring In player they can call or raise.
- Each player is dealt a fourth face up card. This is known as the Fourth Street.
- Second round of betting begins with the player showing the highest face up (open) card.
- The second round of betting adds two new options:
- Check - A player can decide to neither bet nor fold. If a player bets after another who has checked then that player needs to call or fold.
- Bet - Place chips in the pot.
- Betting continues until all players who want to stay in the hand have placed an equal amount of chips in the pot. Players who fold have to wait for the next hand to continue playing.
- Game continues with the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Streets, with each card dealt individually with a betting round after each.
- If at least two players remain in the hand then a showdown takes place. Here the players reveal their cards, and the player with the best five-card hand wins the pot.
The Follow the Queen Poker Hand Rankings
Follow the Queen uses the standard poker hands. THis is how they are ranked, starting from weakest to strongest:
- High card: The highest card is the best hand. If two cards are the same value, the spade is usually regarded as the highest-ranking card, followed by the heart, diamond, and then the club.
- One pair: Two cards of the same value.
- Two pair: Two pairs, with each pair containing two cards of the same value.
- Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value.
- Straight: All five cards in sequential order; the ace serves as the low or high end.
- Flush: All five cards of the same suit, though not necessarily in sequential order.
- Full house: Three cards of one value and two cards of another.
- Four of a kind: Four cards of the same value.
- Straight flush: All five cards are of the same suit and in sequential order, with an ace as the low or high end.
- Royal flush: The straight flush must contain an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten.
The Hand Rankings of 5 Card Stud Poker
Remember the Wilds are Pay Cards!
The wilds are what make Follow the Queen special. That said, the wilds are considered pay cards. This means you have to pay for a wild by placing a chip that’s equal in value to the ante. This rule remains even as the wilds change when a Queen is dealt face up.
Follow the Queen and Enjoy this Poker Variant
Follow the Queen brings an interesting change to the 7 Card Stud rules we all know and love. After all, a wild can be very powerful, changing the values of your hands as you see fit. So make sure to use them strategically as you play! Enjoy Follow the Queen at any of our recommended UK casino sites, and as always always remember to play responsibly.
