How to Play Kankakee Poker

Seven Card Stud is a classic poker game. It is also one that is great to build variations from. One of the more popular home variations of Seven Card Stud Poker is called Kankakee Poker. It includes the traditional strategy of Seven Card Stud, with an extra twist. The extra twist in Kankakee Poker is the fact that your first face up card is wild, as is every other card in your hand matching it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Playing cards

1. Gather a maximum of 7 players to play Kankakee Poker. The ideal is 5 or 6 players.

2. Deal 2 face down cards to each player. After all the players at the table have received their cards, each player may view his own cards.

3. Deal 1 face up card to each player. Inform each player that the face up card they received is wild, and any other card that matches the face value of that card in his own hand is wild too. The matching card can be in the face down or face up cards.

4. Conduct the first wagering round; the player sitting to the left of the dealer begins the wagering.

5. Deal a face up card to each player, starting with the player sitting to the left of the dealer and conduct another wagering round. The player with the best face up poker hand begins the wagering.

6. Repeat Step 5 two more times. After this each player will have 4 face up and 2 face down cards. Deal the seventh card to each player as a face down card.

7. Conduct a final wagering round. As usual, this round begins with the player with the best face up poker hand.

8. Reveal the cards and determine a winner. Everyone who has not folded now flips over their cards and declares the best 5 card poker hand from their 7 cards. They player with the best poker hand wins the entire pot.

Tips & Warnings

• Some play that the first face up card is not wild itself, but instead if you have a card that matches it in your hand, that other card is wild.
• With the standard rules for Kankakee Poker, every player has at least a pair after the third card is dealt to each player. Keep this in mind before falling in love with your hand. If one of your opponents has a face up card that pairs their wild card, it is best to go ahead and fold unless you have at least a full house in your hand.