Those who play five-card stud will relatively comfortable trying Prephia poker. This game is based on the popular five card version of poker. Prephia starts normally enough; each player must put in an ante. After that each player is dealt four up-cards and one hole card. Your hole card is a “wild” card. Any of the four up-cards in front of a player that match the hole card is also wild. So if you have an Ace in your hand, and an Ace as one of your up-cards, the visible Ace as well as the one in your hand is also wild.
The cards are dealt starting on the dealers left. The first card dealt will be the players hole card. This one is obviously dealt face down.
When dealing the up-cards, a player is given the choice whether he wants to keep the up-card he has just been dealt, or have another down card dealt to them. If they choose the down card option, they must then decide which card to expose as their up-card; the new down card that has been dealt to them, or their hole card. If they choose the hole card to be an up-card, the down card that was dealt becomes the hole card, and also becomes wild. The previous hole card is no longer wild.
.
Once all the hole cards and first round of up-cards have been dealt, the first round of betting begins. The player with the highest hand showing is the first to act. They may either bet or check. After this first bet (or check) betting continues in a clockwise manner from the original bettor.
Dealing for the third, fourth, and fifth rounds continue in exactly the same manner as the deal of the first up-card. Players reject the up-card dealt them in each round, in favor of a down card. This gives them the opportunity to change their wild card during every round. Betting continues in the same manner as well; starting with the highest hand showing, and continuing in a clockwise manner.
Upon the completion of the final betting round, each player must declare whether they are going to make a high or low hand. This is not done by shouting out what your intention is, but by secretly taking one chip for “low” or two chips for “high”, and holding them in your hand; out of view of the rest of the players.
At the count of three everyone opens their hand and exposes whether they have one or two chips.
At this point a winner is declared and the pot is split between the best high hand and the best low hand.
