How to Play Thirty Eight Guts Poker

The popularity of Guts Poker games at home poker nights is increasing signficantly. One of the more popular new Guts Poker variations is Thirty Eight Guts Poker. This is a game that actually gives each player 5 cards. There are aspects of Thirty Eight Guts Poker that make it stand out from standard Guts Poker though. These include the fact that there are 8 wild cards in the game, and losers might have to pay double or triple the amount of the pot.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Playing cards

1. Gather up to 10 players for Thirty Eight Guts Poker. It is recommended that you limit the size to 6 to 8 players to keep the game competitive and limit overcrowding. It is also best if you are going to be playing Thirty Eight Guts Poker to have the entire night be a night of Guts variation poker games.

2. Deal 3 face down cards to each player. Inform all players that threes and eights are wild. Allow each player to look at his own cards after everyone has received their 3 cards.

3. Ante into the pot if this is the first hand of the night, or after only one player "gutted" on the previous hand. The size of the ante is up to you as the host. It is recommended that it starts as a low chip value due to the penalties players must pay when they lose a hand.

4. Instruct each player to declare if they are in the hand or not. They declare if they are in or not by putting a closed fist over the table. If they wish to play the hand they put a chip inside their hand. After everyone has put their fist over the table, all players open their fists. Each player with a chip in his hand is in that hand. Deal 2 additional cards to each player that declared they were in.

5. Start a wagering round. In Thirty Eight Guts Poker wagering is different than standard poker. Each player may say either single, double or triple. If a player announces double then the players that declared in and lose the hand pay a penalty equal to double the current pot before the next hand starts. If a player announces triple, the penalty is triple the current pot. Once all players have called either a single, double or triple, then the wagering round is over. If a player fails to call a double or triple, they must pay the value of the pot as a penalty for the next hand if they folded after calling a "single" bet, and twice the pot if they folded after calling a "triple" bet.

6. Reveal the cards and declare a winner. Everyone that "gutted" and did not fold during the wagering now reveals their cards. The player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the entire pot.

7. Pay the penalties. Each player that gutted, but did not win must now pay his penalty into the new pot. Remember if the wagering got to double or triple, then losers pay double or triple the previous pot as their penalty.

Tips & Warnings

• Any time only one person declares they are in for the hand, they win the entire pot immediately and a new round of Thirty Eight Guts Poker begins. Each player must ante again, and some players add a rule to their home poker game that the antes increase each time a new round is dealt.
• Learn how aggressive the others at your table are during wagering rounds. If you declare in with an aggressive player it is a good idea to bet single and see what he does. That way if he raises it to double or triple you can get out by just matching the pot if you decide to fold, instead of paying the double penalty after you bet or call a double bet.