How to Play Iron Cross

Iron Cross is a variation of the seven card stud poker game with a Texas Hold 'Em-style twist. Like Seven Card Stud, players use seven cards to assemble the best five card hand possible. However, as in Texas Hold 'Em players use a community pile to build their hand.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Deal every player two cards face down to start Iron Cross poker. Then deal every player one face up card.

2. Place five cards in the middle of the table to use as the community pile. Place the cards in a cross formation with three cards in a horizontal row and three cards in a vertical column.

3. Have a betting round. The betting begins with the player who has the worst face up card.

4. Flip over one of the outside community cards in the cross. The card does not matter as long as it's not the card in the center of the cross. Once the card is flipped, have a betting round. This time, the player with the best poker hand, using the community card, begins the betting.

5. Turn over another card in the cross. Turn over the card counterclockwise from the first card you turned over. Have another betting round, again beginning with the player who has the best hand.

6. Reveal the next counterclockwise community card. Follow this with another round of betting beginning with the best hand. Continue this pattern until all cards in the cross are turned over.

7. Give every player one more face down card. After this, have the final betting round.

8. Determine the winner. The winner of Iron Cross poker is the player with the best five card hand using two of his cards and three of the community cards. Players must choose to use either the three community cards in the horizontal row or the three community cards in the vertical column.