Think you’ve got what it takes to play this game?
Just to save face, you might want to review Phil’s house rules. And
before you open your mouth, play it smart and learn the lingo.
Poker Hands (in descending order)
Royal Flush:
A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
More likely
than winning the lottery, but not by much.
Straight Flush:
5 cards of one suit in sequence.
Opponents
will hate you for this hand — a fine feeling indeed.
4 of a Kind:
4 aces, 4 threes, and so on.
Holding this
hand is a good time to consider betting your child’s tuition, especially
if you’re not really fond of the kid.
Full House:
3 of one value and 2 of another.
This is
where you’ve got to learn to stay cool while you bet.
Flush:
5 cards of one suit, not in any order.
A powerful
hand…and pretty to look at, too!
Straight:
5 cards of different suits in sequence.
Be careful…if you’ve got this, an opponent probably does, too.
3 of a Kind:
3 of one value.
A good hand, but still quite
beatable, so don’t go slinging your chips around just yet.
2 Pair:
2 of one value and two of another.
A tricky hand — it
looks good, but notice where it sits on the food chain.
1 Pair:
2 of one value.
This hand wins more often than
you’d think, especially if you’re holding twin royalty.
High Card:
When players have none of the above, the player
with the highest card wins.
This might be a good time to get a snack…in
other words, FOLD!