How to Play 3-5-7 Guts Poker

3-5-7 Guts Poker is the type of Guts poker game that you should play for an entire evening. During the game of 3-5-7 Guts poker you can actually win money without winning the pot. Each hand involves the lowest hand paying the person with the highest hand. To win the entire pot though, you must be the only player to "gut", or to declare you are playing the hand five times before another player accomplishes this goal. As in all forms of Guts Poker, each player declares at the beginning of a hand if he is in or out. Each round includes 3-5-7 Guts poker is named 3-5-7 due to the fact that there are three hands played in each round.

Things You'll Need

• Playing cards
• Poker table, poker tabletop or standard table
• Poker chips

Instructions

The Three-Card Hand

1. All players ante into the pot. It is recommended that you ante larger than the smallest chip value in the game. This is because there is no wagering during 3-5-7 Guts poker.

2. Deal three cards face down to each player at the table. Once all the players at the table have received their three cards, you may look at your own cards. Threes are wild in the three-card game.

3. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, each player has the option to declare if she is "in the hand" or "guts" by holding out her fist. If there is a chip in her fist, that person is in the hand. Unlike standard Guts poker, if the player to your left declares she is in the hand and you declare you are out, you may change your mind.

4. Reveal your three-card hand to the other players that "gutted", or declared in, but do not reveal it to anyone else at the table.

5. The player with the lowest three-card hand must pay an amount equal to the pot to the player with the highest three-card hand. The pot remains as it is though; the winner does not collect the chips in the pot. Do not announce the hands, as the players who failed to "gut" are not privy to this information.

The Five-Card Hand

1. Deal two additional cards to each player. Even the players that failed to "gut" in the three-card hand receive two additional cards. In this round, fives are wild instead of threes.

2. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, each player has the option to declare if he is "in the hand" or "guts" by holding out his fist. If there is a chip in his fist once everyone has put his fists over the table, that person is in the hand. Once again, unlike standard Guts poker, if the player to your left declares he is in the hand and you had declared you are out, you may change your mind.

3. Reveal your five card hand to the other players that "gutted", or declared in, but do not reveal it to anyone else at the table.

4. The player with the lowest five-card hand must pay an amount equal to the pot to the player with the highest five-card hand. The pot remains as it is though; the winner does not collect the chips in the pot. Do not announce the hands, as the players who failed to "gut" are not privy to this information.

The Seven-Card Hand

1. Deal two additional cards to each player to bring her hand to seven cards. Even the players that failed to "gut" in earlier rounds receive two additional cards. In this round, sevens are now wild.

2. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, each player has the option to declare if she is in the hand, or "guts", by holding out her fist. If there is a chip in her fist once everyone has put their fists over the table, that person is in the hand. Once again, unlike standard Guts poker, if the player to your left declares she is in the hand and you had declared you are out, you may change your mind.

3. Reveal your hand if you "gutted". This time, since the cards will be redealt to start a new round after the seven-card hand, you may lay them face down on the table. The player with the best five-card hand receives a payment equal to the value of the pot from the player with the lowest hand.

4. Ante into the pot again and start a new round beginning with a three-card 3-5-7 Guts poker hand.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep track of how many times each player is the only one to "gut". Once one player reaches a score of five "solo guts", he receives the chips in the pot. At this point, everyone's "solo gut" total is reduced to zero, everyone re-antes and the next hand is dealt.

• Remember that each time you "gut", everyone else at the table that "gutted" gets to see your hand. This means they will know more than half of the cards in your new hand.