Bluff N' Peg

The dealer deals 5 cards to each player. Each player, starting with the player to the dealer’s left, may discard up to 3 cards. The dealer will then deal to all players the same number of cards that they discarded so that they end up with 5 cards in their hand. (Each player is trying to make the best poker hand.)

Next, the player to the dealer’s left must either play a card face up or fold their hand. (When a player folds their hand, they turn in their cards and are out of play until the next deal.) Play continues to the left and each player in turn must either fold their hand or play one card after another until they have the best poker hand showing face up. A player may end up playing several cards on a single turn to beat the best poker hand showing. The strategy is in how you lay your cards.

Bluffing zone:
When and only when a player plays their third card face up, they may declare “double or fold.” (They do not necessarily have to be finished laying cards on their turn when they declare double or fold.) The other players in turn may accept the declaration or they may fold their hand. If the declaration is accepted by any of the players, the peg in the bluffing zone is advanced to the next highest position and the points are doubled. (The “double or fold” declaration may be made up to a maximum of three times per hand but only once by any one player. A player in the “last chance” area may not declare “double or fold” but may accept a “double or fold” declaration.)

Play continues with each player playing their cards as before. The hand is won by the player who played the highest poker hand without folding. To start the next hand, the deal is passed to the left and that player is the new dealer. The peg in the bluffing zone must be reset to the 1X hole.

SCORING:
The player who wins the hand receives the number of points indicated directly under the peg in the bluffing zone (5, 10, 20 or 40).

The losing players lose 1 point for each card they played face up times the number directly above the peg in the bluffing zone ( EX: If the bluffing peg is in the second hole, the number directly above the bluffing peg is 2X. The player would lose two points for each card played.) When a player folds their hand, they use the number directly above the peg in the bluffing zone at the time they folded. If a player folds their hand as a result of a “double or fold” declaration, that player uses the number directly above the peg in the bluffing zone before it is advanced.

The points are recorded on the board for each player. When a player wins points, they advance that many holes in their column toward the “winner” hole. When they lose points, they move backward toward the “out the back” holes.

In the event that two or more players have identical winning hands, those players will each win the same number of points as they would if they were the only winner.

LAST CHANCE:
There are three holes in the “last chance” area for each column. When a player moves backward and lands in the first “last chance” hole, they stop there for that hand. While in the “last chance” area, a player may only move backward 1 hole per hand. If they win, they may advance the number of points that they won.

OUT THE BACK:
If a player lands in the “out the back” holes, the hand is played to completion and the player with the most points is the winner. If there is not a clear winner at this point, the players who are tied for first must play 1 additional hand to break the tie.

VARIATIONS:
If you want to change your luck, try making all 2’s wild. The game is played the same except 5 of a kind is now the best hand possible.

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Spy Alley Partners L.L.P., Maple Grove, MN 55369
Phone: 800-611-1270 • E-mail: info@spyalley.com