You might find sessions of Russian Poker going on while visiting your favourite poker sites. If you’re unfamiliar with this game you might be wondering what it involves, and whether it’s actually Russian in the first place. How do you play this game, and do you need to be drinking vodka while doing so? While we’re sure that the answer to the second question is “no” we also have the answer to the first, so join us as we tell you all about how to play Russian Poker!
The Basics of Russian Poker
Russian Poker is indeed a Russian variant of poker. It was created in the 1990s, after the collapse of the USSR, and plays quite differently from Hold’em and its typical variant. This is because Russian Poker is played against the dealer, as opposed to the other players. As such it is a lot like Caribbean Stud, the more popular poker variant that’s likewise played against the house. In addition Russian Player involves just 4 players, all trying to beat the dealer’s hand, and you can find online sessions that are played one-on-one either virtually or with a dedicated dealer.
That said, Russian Poker still shares a lot of rules with Texas Hold’em. The game is played using a regular 52-card deck, while the hand rankings are identical. As such you can use your knowledge to try to get the edge in this game - just remember that your poker face is no good here, as you won’t be able to bluff your way out of a weak hand.
How a Game of Russian Poker Works
Now that we’ve told you the basics you’ll want to know how a typical game of Russian Poker goes. Remember that this game plays like Caribbean Stud, so you’re looking to beat the dealer with your hand as opposed to the other players, who essentially play separately from each other.
- Every player places their ante bets.
- The dealer announces “no more bets.” The players cannot touch or adjust their bets.
- The dealer hands out five face-down cards to each player and to themselves.
- The players look at the cards and make one of the following decisions:
- Play - the player moves their cards to the Bet area and makes an additional bet. This is equal to two antes.
- Fold - the player puts down their cards and forfeits their ante bet.
- Exchange - the player can exchange 2-5 cards by paying an ante for each card.
- Purchase - the player can also purchase an additional 6th card for the price of an ante.
- The dealer exchanges cards in the same order they were dealt. This is typically by starting from the player leftmost from the dealer.
- Once all players decide on their hands they reveal their cards together with the dealer. Hands stronger than the dealer’s win.
Additional Russian Poker Rules
Additional Russian Poker Rules
Depending on the Russian Poker room you’re playing in you may find a couple of additional rules. First of these is Insurance. If your hand is a Three of a Kind or better you may insure it against the dealer’s hand for the cost of a bet equal to one ante and the expected payout from their hand. The insurance is lost if the player’s hand beats the dealer, but in case the dealer is the one who beat them then they receive a payout equal to the insurance bet.
Another interesting Russian Poker rule is how players can hold two hands simultaneously. In this case both hands will pay out according to the paytable, but at least one of the two hands must be higher than the dealer’s while the second hand contains at least one card not used by the first. If you split a five-card hand into two then the only possible second hand consists of an Ace and a King.
The final optional rule in Russian Poker is the bonus. If you’re sure that your hand is strong enough to beat the dealer’s then you can place an additional bonus bet. The payout for this bet can differ between rooms, so check the paytable before committing to this additional bet.
Russian Poker Hand Rankings
The ranking of Russian Poker hands follows that of traditional poker. They are as follows, starting from the weakest:
- 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.
Russian Poker Hand Payouts
Here’s how much each hand pays in Russian Poker:
|
Poker Hand |
Payout |
|
Two Pair |
2:1 |
|
Three of a Kind |
3:1 |
|
Straight |
4:1 |
|
Flush |
5:1 |
|
Full House |
7:1 |
|
Four of a Kind |
20:1 |
|
Straight Flush |
50:1 |
|
Royal Flush |
100:1 |
Discover a New Style of Poker with the Russian Variant!
Russian Poker brings something different to poker night! It’s not the only variant that’s played against the dealer - Caribbean Stud is probably the most famous one - but it adds enough tweaks to make it new and exciting. Plus it’s always great to apply one’s poker knowledge to a different game context, right? So enjoy Russian Poker with our guide, and remember to always play responsibly.
