Anaconda

Anaconda is a most entertaining poker variant, which I have massaged into a postal game. Because of the unique way the cards are played it is possibly the only version of poker that translates well to postal play (I may be wrong - anyone know of other attempts at postal poker?)

It is played using a 56-card deck (four jokers - 5 of a kind beats a straight flush) and requires 6 or 8 players. Each player starts with one million pounds and the winner is unsurprisingly the one with the most money at the end.

For a 6-player game, there are three tables taking place simultaneously. The players on each table are assigned randomly from 1 to 6.

First Postal Turn:

At each table, each player is dealt 7 cards and selects 4 to keep.

Player 1 gives 2 cards to player 2 and 1 card to player 6

Player 2 gives 2 cards to player 3 and 1 card to player 1

Player 3 gives 2 cards to player 4 and 1 card to player 2

Player 4 gives 2 cards to player 5 and 1 card to player 3

Player 5 gives 2 cards to player 6 and 1 card to player 4

Player 6 gives 2 cards to player 1 and 1 card to player 5

(card exchange can be done by orders, or players can actually post cards to each other!)

Second Postal Turn:

Each player selects 5 cards to keep and 2 to discard (face down). He must also select 3 cards to expose to his opponent (the FTF game starts with only one exposed). At each table, there are 3 one-on-one games taking place - 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4 and 5 vs. 6.

Third Postal Turn:

All 9 games then start, in each case with 2 hidden cards and 3 exposed cards. Each player pays in a £20,000 ante. The player with the higher value visible cards (jokers are counted to maximise the hand, so Ace, Queen and Joker = 2 aces) gets to bet first:

Allowable bets are:

Raise - maximum £50,000

Fold - check is not permitted

Fourth postal turn:

Responding players may:

Raise - equal opponent's raise and add up to £50,000

Stay - equal opponent's raise

Fold - chuck in hand

For all the hands where the person betting second has "stayed" each player must expose another card. In the FTF game you have to choose your order in advance, but in the postal game you may expose any of the cards you wish. Thus you can hide a good hand or make a weak hand look better.

Showdown:

The play continues as above until a fold or a stay has taken place (and thus the penultimate card exposed). This is the showdown. Best hand showing bets first and the options are:

Raise - max £200,000

Check - if sums are equal, pass to next player without raising

Stay - equal opponent's raise but don't call, opponent may raise, check, or call (at no cost)

Call - expose final card - opponent's raise must be equalled or if sums are level no extra money required. The first player to bet may not call.

IOUs - when calling, if a player has insufficient funds, he may write an IOU for the sum required which has to be repaid if he loses the pot. Thus a player can finish with a negative sum.

Sample Hand:

Texas Joe has 3 aces and bets £40,000

Cool Gland Puke decides to stay

Texas Joe looks worried, but raises £100,000

Without blinking, Cool Gland Puke matches the £100,000 and raises a further £200,000....

Texas Joe folds.

By Richard Smith 1999