How to Play Football Poker

In football poker, players are not allowed to look at their own cards before revealing them. To match the theme, points are scored and the player with the most points wins the hand instead of the player with the best poker hand.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Deck of cards
• Poker chips

1. Find a group of friends to get together for a home poker night. The minimum number of players for football poker is three and a maximum of six. The ideal number is between four and six players.

2. Deal eight cards to each player. These cards should be dealt as four stacks of two face-down cards in front of each player at the table. This means each player will have eight face-down cards, divided into four piles. Do not allow any of the players to view their cards.

3. Direct each player to ante into the pot, and then choose the player to the left of the dealer to start. That player will flip over his first pile of two cards. This represents the first quarter of the football game. Each of the other players in order will now flip over her first quarter of cards.

4. Determine the points for each player in the first quarter. Points are scored for each two, three, six or seven the player flips over. These points are the face value of the cards. A two represents scoring a safety, a three is a field goal, a six is a touchdown and a seven is a touchdown with the extra point. Keep a running total of points for each player. Leave the flipped cards face up so everyone at the table can see how many points each player has.

5. Conduct the first betting round. This round is started by the player with the most points. Players may call, raise or fold just like standard poker.

6. Flip over the second pile of cards for each player, starting again with the player to the left of the dealer. This is the second quarter. After these are flipped, begin a wagering round started by the player with the most points shown overall from her first and second quarter cards combined.

7. Turn over the third pile of cards for each player. Once again this starts with the player to the left of the dealer. After everyone who has not folded has flipped over his third quarter cards, start a final wagering round. This round begins with the player with the most combined points from his or her three piles of flipped cards.

8. Flip over the final pile of cards for each player. There is no wagering round after these are flipped because now everyone can see the cards for each player at the table.

9. Determine the winner. Each player adds up all the points she has scored from her eight face-up cards. The player with the most points wins the entire pot.

Tips & Warnings

• Some people play that if an ace is turned up, a player can buy an overtime, which is an additional pile of two cards for a price decided upon before the game starts. If you play this way, there can be no more than five players in the game so that you don't run out of cards.

• With only three betting rounds in football poker, the pots tend to be on the small side. Many players fold early if they don't get a six or seven in the first two quarters and more than one opponent flips over a six or seven.