So you’re already an expert at playing poker and gambling on hold em at bovada poker— you’re great at the game and you enjoy the thrill of it. For you, regular poker is just another game and you’re looking for something new, a special twist to the game. If so, then you have got to try out Mexican stud poker! Compared to normal poker games, Mexican stud poker is a variant that gives players an option to reveal their cards to opponents as they bet. With this difference, the game dynamics change entirely and make it even more exciting and thrilling. Instead of regular poker, the game now feels like a strategy game that requires brains, luck, and guts. If the sound of Mexican stud poker entices you, read on to find out how to play the game!
Understanding the Game
Mexican stud poker is similar to regular stud poker and will feel familiar to you if you have experience with the latter. Once you start playing the game, it may feel a little odd and different compared to regular stud poker. However, you will be able to grasp the rules of the games quickly and pick it up in no time. For those who have never played any form of stud poker, Mexican stud poker may come off as more than odd and strange.
Just like regular stud poker, there are no community cards in Mexican stud poker. Every player will have to come up with their best hand possible from the five cards that have been dealt to them. The strength of a player’s hand follows the standard sequence from basic poker, with a few exceptions which will be explained later on.
Even though there are no community cards, players will be able to know four out of five cards in their opponent’s hand. In the same way, opponents will also know four cards of a player’s hand. The thrill and strategy comes in when players have to try their best to hide their single card left, or to make people believe in what they have on hand.
Let’s discuss the playing deck now. In some cases of Mexican stud poker, the game utilizes a normal deck of 53 cards, with a single joker card. In such a case, the hand strengths will be the same for all poker games. For a more exciting version, Mexican stud poker uses a deck of cards that has its 8s, 9s, and 10s removed. At the same time, a single joker card is still added to the deck. This results in a deck of 41 cards. What this means for players is that straights can jump, but flushes become difficult to get. For such games, flushes are considered a hand as strong as a full house.
Game Play
So now that you have roughly understood how the game works, let’s talk about the sequence of play to understand how the gameplay works.
- Players start by placing antes into the pot.
- Players are dealt two cards, with one facing up and the other one unrevealed.
- Betting begins with the player who has the highest hand, starting clockwise from the dealer. A rule to take note of is that the player with the smallest card is not allowed to check or fold.\
- With the completion of the first round of betting, players can choose to reveal their other cards on hand. If they do so, the next card will be dealt face down. If they choose otherwise, the next card dealt will be revealed in order to ensure that each player only has one card that is not revealed.
- After cards are dealt, the betting round starts again using the rules mentioned above.
- The cycle repeats until each player has a total of five cards (four cards revealed) and has placed his or her bet.
Now you may wonder, how does the joker card play a role in the game? The interesting thing to note is that the joker card acts as a wild card— only when it is faced down. This means that if the joker card is unrevealed, it can act as any card. However, if the joker card is shown, it can only take the value of an ace. The trick then is to keep your joker card face down unless you need an ace for your hand.
Origins of Mexican Stud Poker
Mexican stud poker definitely sounds fun, and it is a great game that many people can enjoy. But how exactly did the game start? In fact, nobody knows for sure about how and where did Mexican stud poker originate from. If you do a quick search on Google, even Wikipedia does not have a clear and definite answer to the origins of the game. Despite its mysterious beginnings, Mexican stud poker has been played for many years in Mexico and Central America, which may give us a clue to its name and origins.
Now that Mexican stud poker has gained popularity, you may wonder if the game is usually played in casinos or card houses. Some sources say that for those interested in the game, they should head to California—Petaluma, CA. At Petaluma, you will find plenty of Mexican stud poker action in the 101 Casino. Besides 101 Casino, other casinos in the vicinity also feature the game. Now you know where you can head to if you want to try out this variant of poker first hand!
Conclusion
Ultimately, Mexican stud poker is a variant of regular poker, except more interesting, thrilling, and fun. For those seeking a new kind of game to play and explore, why not try out Mexican stud poker? With its unique rule that allows players to see part of their opponent’s hand, the game becomes more than a game of luck and gamble but also a game of wits and guts. You can read up more about the game online if you decide to give the game a try at your next casino outing!
