Introduction to Chicago Poker Rules
Chicago Poker rules are a variant of the popular Seven Card Stud poker game. For those wondering how to play Chicago Poker, it plays exactly like Seven Card Stud except that the best hand takes half of the pot, while the player who has the highest spade hole card takes the other half of the pot. There is another variant called San Francisco Poker where the highest heart takes half the pot while the best hand takes the other half.
How to Play Chicago Poker
Play begins with each player receiving two cards face down and one card face up. A round of betting follows according to Seven Card Stud rules. This means that the player with the lowest card must start the betting with either a bring-in bet or a full bet. After betting is complete, a fourth card is dealt face up to each player. Another round of betting follows, beginning with the player with the best hand. If a player is showing a pair, they may bet double the normal amount. Once the betting is complete, a fifth card is dealt face up to each player, followed by another round of betting, and then a sixth card, which is dealt face up. Yet another round of betting occurs, and then a seventh and final card is dealt face down to each player, and the players bet one final time. Once betting is over, the players reveal their hole cards. The player with the best hand wins half of the pot, while the player with the highest spade hole card wins the other half of the pot. If none of the players had a spade as a hole card, the best hand takes the entire pot.
Chicago Poker Strategy
Chicago Poker has the same basic strategy as Seven Card Stud. The only difference is that if a player has the highest spade available as a hole card, they will want to bet heavily as well. Players should pay close attention to the spades that are up on the board, as these spades cannot be in the hole cards, possibly lowering the number of spades that can beat a player’s highest spade hole card.