Natural8 poker was founded by Run Good N.V. And is one of the major poker sites running on the GG 'Good Game” Network, along with GGPoker. This is primarily an Asian-focused network, so you’ll mainly find players from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and India. Free poker - free online poker games. 247 Free Poker has free online poker, jacks or better, tens or better, deuces wild, joker poker and many other poker games that you can play online for free or download. Natural8 rakes preflop whenever there was a 3-bet. Please note: Natural8 rakes as soon as there was 3-bet before the flop. Normally all poker sites and live poker rooms have a no-flop-no-drop rule: no rake is taken if there is no flop.

• Natural Poker Face
• Natural8 Poker Download
• Blackjack Natural
• Natural8 Poker Hud
• Poker Neural Network
• Blackjack Natural 21

4.4 / 5
Deposit bonus	$1,000
Rakeback	up to 60%
Cashier	direct
Payments
Platforms

• World's largest poker network
• Up to 60% rakeback from rewards
• Monthly rake races worth 500.000$+
• Hundreds of cash tables
• Highroller events

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Natural8 — is one of the oldest skins of the Good Game Network (it was launched in 2016), currently a TOP3 operator in terms of traffic. The site is operated by Run Good N.V., a company located in Curacao, and currently holds a gaming license from the Government of Curacao (Master License of Gaming Services Provider, N.V. #365/JAZ).

N8 is firmly focused on the Asian market, and it’s recognized as one of the most popular gaming platforms there. The poker room promotes its brand widely in live events across Asia.

The site has evolved from a local operator to a world-famous poker room with a website translated into more than ten languages and hosts exclusive promotions for its customers.

Natural 8 Poker client

Natural 8 Client

Natural8 offers great features for players to enjoy. The software is easy to use and there are a huge variety of cash games and tournaments being offered every hour. No matter what timezone you are at, there will always be something for everyone.

The home lobby shows the current promotions with bright icons and appealing graphics, making a big emphasis on exclusive Natural8 events.

The right part of the lobby shows the current balance (in cash, tournament dollars, and tickets), and allows login or logout.

The site offers seven different formats:

1. Hold’em
2. Omaha;
3. All-In or Fold;
4. Rush & Cash;
5. Short Deck
6. Spin and Gold;
7. Tournaments.

Besides that, the VIP Games tab grants direct access to high stakes action of all formats (from $25/$50 to $200/$400). A little blue icon at the top of the table illustration shows additional information like currency, seats, blinds, time bank, and unique features like All-In Insurance, Straddle & No-Look All-in, etc.

A yellow flag indicates whether a promotion is running for a particular format. All cash games have a “Group View” and a “Table View.” A flag is displayed right beside the nickname of each player, indicating where the grinder is playing.

BMM Testlabs (a company with 30 years of experience) certifies the Random Number Generator (RNG).

Please contact our support team to know more information about the Natural8 client:

Telegram: alexey_wpd

WhatsApp: +66658566798

Skype: live:newbheartstoned

Email: [email protected]

Natural8 traffic: cash games, NLH, PLO, 6+ Hold'em, AoF

Natural8 Table

After a small but intense journey, Natural8 has managed to climb to the online poker TOP3, boosting up to 20,000 connections during peak time. In other words, this means that the traffic at poker room is incredible, and grinders can find enough action 24/7 at virtually any stake or game.

Another great news: according to our scout team, a significant percentage of the players connect from Asian countries (mainly China), so the traffic is not only good in quantity but also quality.

NLH

Stake	Tables
NL5$	20-25
NL10$	13-16
NL25$	12-15
NL50$	10-12
NL100$	12-15
NL200$	5-7
NL500$	2-4
NL1,000$	3-6
NL5,000$+	1-2

Omaha

Stake	Tables
PLO10$	10-12
PLO25$	10-12
PLO50$	7-9
PLO100$	4-6
PLO200$	4-6
PLO500$	4-6
PLO1,000$	3-5
PLO2,000$	2-4
PLO5,000$+	1-2

Rush & Cash

Stake	Connections
NL2$	150-170
NL10$	120-140
NL50$	90-110
NL200$	40-60

All-In or Fold

Stake	Tables
NL25$	17
NL100$	10
NL400$	3
NL1K$	4
PLO50$	12
PLO200$	7
PLO800$	4

Short Deck

Stake	Tables
¥1	8-10
¥5	5-8
¥20	1-2
¥50	1-2
¥100	1-2

Natural8 tournaments: MTT and Spin and Gold

Natural8 has made tremendous efforts to create a comprehensive MTT offer that satisfies the needs or all players. Therefore, the site hosts hundreds of tournaments every day with buy-in from $0,5 to $5,000 and twice a year unveils a new Good Game Series with millions of dollars added.

Each Sunday, an N8 GG Masters event is played; this is a unique promotion featuring a yearly leaderboard and will reward the best grinder with a sponsorship contract valued in up to $500,000.

Exclusive Natural8 events highlight with different colors and the code “N8” in the name.

On February 28, 2020, Natural8 launched Spin&Gold, their jackpot SnG format. There are four stakes available: $1, $5, $20, and $50.

The structure isn't very different to a standard version of spins, 3-max past paced sit&go with random prizes, but Natural 8 twisted a bit the games to make it unique:

• Players can get insurance to avoid losing X2 events;
• The blind growth rate and chip stack depends on the multiplier;
• The highest prize is $600,000 ($50 buy-in, X12,000 multiplier).

Natural8 deposits, withdrawals, and real money games

Natural8 processes its payments via MoneyMatrix Ltd., a company legally registered in Malta.

Payment Method	Minimum/Maximum deposit
Cryptocurrencies	$10 — $50,000
Neteller	$10 — $50,00
Skrill	$10 — $50,000
Bank transfer	$10 — $5,000
ecoPayz	$10 — $1,000
WeChat Pay	$10 — $5,000
Alipay	$10 — $5,000
Suncity Group	$10 — $50,000

All deposits are commission-free.

Please note that payment methods differ according to the player’s residence. The site requires at least 15% in rake (or 3x turnover) before requesting a withdrawal (both for deposits and P2P transfers). Cashouts are processed usually within 72 hours.

The withdrawal limits per month start at $1,000 up to $50,000 (maximum withdrawal per month) and can be upgraded by sending different documents to the site.

Natural8 Rakeback and Rewards

After your first deposit at Natural8, you can choose between a regular deposit bonus or a free bonus:

• $200 matched bonus up to $1,000: recommended for deposits of at least $100 and mid to high-stakes players. The bonus is paid in $5 increments for every $20 of net rake. All deposits over the next 60 days up to $500 count for the promotion. Wagering time is 90 days.
• Up to $100 in rewards and cash: ideal for low stakes players and deposits of less than $100. The minimum deposit is $20. You'll get $65 in Spin&Gold tickets for six days, and $35 in additional rewards for playing All-in or Fold. You'll have 30 days to use all the tickets.

Attention! Rush & Cash (fast-fold poker) games don't count towards clearing the bonus.

How to get the Natural8 welcome bonus?

1. Register an account;
2. Deposit at least $10 for the matched bonus or $20 for the free bonus and choose your preferred promotion;
3. If you select $100 in rewards, $65 in tickets will be credited instantly;
4. If you select a $1,000 matched bonus, your bonus balance will be automatically updated.

$500 First Depositors Freeroll

Every Sunday, new depositors play for a share of $500 in the Weekly Depositors Freeroll. There is no minimum transaction to take part in this promotion.

$8 Deposit Bonus

For depositing at least $10 and verify their accounts, players receive an $8 free bonus. To claim the reward, grinders must contact the poker room customer service.

Honeymoon Missions

Thirty missions with many rewards welcome new customers to Natural8. To take part in these promotions, you must opt-in in the client, and then a daily task will be assigned with different prizes.

Successful Missions	Prizes
3	Ticket Omaholic $1
5	$2,50
7	Ticket T$ Builder $4
15	T$12,50
20	$20
25	T$110
30	$150

Missions go from playing a determined number of hands at any format, to win a hand or a tournament.

Please contact our team to get more information about the Natural8 VIP program:

Telegram: alexey_wpd

WhatsApp: +66658566798

Skype: live:newbheartstoned

Email: [email protected]

Natural8 exclusive promotions

Natural 8 has exclusive promotions available only to their customers; those events are only visible in the N8 client and include satellites, rake races, and much more.

Live event satellites

N8 improves its position in Asia by hosting satellites to live events where players usually wear branded clothing. In early 2020 the site has satellites to the APT Taiwan 2020 Main Event with a buy-in of only $180 and one seat $1,000 guaranteed. A great benefit of Natural8 grinders is that they can exchange entries for cash if they cannot attend the event.

Natural8 Elemental Daily Series

Thirty micro-stakes tournaments with buy-ins from $0,5 to $4 with different structures, including turbo, hyper-turbo, and bounty.

During the weekend, the Sunday Elemental is played and it features bigger guaranteed prizes. The events are divided into different names and colors, and the guaranteed range from $20 to $360.

• Earth;
• Wood;
• Water;
• Metal;
• Fire

Natural8 Celestial freerolls

Every 2 hours, a new Celestial freeroll starts with players that are building a bankroll; the TOP6 get a ticket to the Elemental Daily Series.

Natural Poker Face

Natural8 $8,888 Elite Chase

Nine lucky players compete every month for a piece of $8,888 in a private chase that rewards grinders according to how many Elite Points they gather in real money games (cash games, MTT, and AoF). The first place takes home $2,388.

N8 doesn’t disclose how Elite Points are assigned to players, but this promotion certainly gives more rakeback to players; the current leaderboard standings can be checked at the official website of the poker room.

Placing	Prize
1	$2,388.00
2	$1,518.00
3	$1,078.00
4	$873.00
5	$731.00
6	$656.00
7	$598.00
8	$546.00
9	$500.00

Natural8 Fish Buffet

Natural 8 calls Fish Buffet a “dynamic loyalty scheme,” which, in other words, is a semi-random VIP program that gives from 15% to 100% rakeback, although the promised average is 50% at the highest level.

In honor of its name, all Fish Buffet status has fish names and the most powerful one if Shark at the Black level. When a player reaches a new level, he gets an opportunity to spin a wheel and get a cash prize.

Spin&Gold Challenge

Spin&Go players have an exclusive promotion to get extra rakeback: Spin&Gold Challenge. The promotion promises to give from 10% to 60% cashback, and it consists of grinding challenges where the player must choose how much time he will play, and then earn gold according to its results at the tables.

The progress of the challenge is displayed at the tables.

Natural8 Rake structure

Natural 8 has a complex rake structure. Not only because they charge rake preflop (3-bet pots), but also because of the indirect rake distribution system (PVI). In tournaments, the fee is usually 10%. This is one of the main reasons why rakeback is so important on this poker network.

Hold'em:

Stake	Rake	Cap
$0.02 / $0.05	5%	$0.5
$0.05 / $0.10	5%	$1
$0.10 / $0.25	5%	$2
$0.25 / $0.50	5%	$4
$0.50 / $1	5%	$5
$1 / $2	5%	$6
$2 / $5	5%	$8
$5 / $10	5%	$10

Rush & Cash – 6,25%

Stake	Cap
$0.01 / $0.02	$0,4
$0.05 / $0.10	$1,5
$0.25/ $0.50	$5
$1 / $2	$10

All-In or Fold

Stake	Buy-in	Fee
PLO20K$	$1,000	$10
NL10K$	$1,000	$5
NL1K$	$80	$0.50
PLO800$	$32	$0.40
NL400$	$32	$0.20
PLO200$	$8	$0.10
NL100$	$8	$0.05
PLO50$	$2	$0.02
NL25$	$2	$0.01

Omaha:

Stake	Rake	Cap
$0.05 / $0.10	5%	3BB
$0.10 / $0.25	5%	3BB
$0.25 / $0.50	5%	2BB
$0.50 / $1	5%	2BB
$1 / $2	5%	2BB
$2 / $5	5%	1.5BB
$5 / $10	5%	1.5BB
$10 / $20	5%	1.5BB
$25 / $50++	5%	1BB

PVI rake

PVI is one of the unique features of the GGPoker Network. It’s an indirect rake structure that considers not only the volume of the game but also the money transactions, game style, profits, etc.

It’s known that PVI punishes regular winning players by affecting their total fee by a factor less than 1, which lowers the overall rakeback. On the other hand, amateur players get more rake than they pay.

Natural8 Ambassadors

Natural8 sponsors over 20 players and divides it into three teams:

• Team Hot

Nine players from around the world, including Kitty Kuo (Taiwan), Dong Kim (Canada), Henri Bühler (Germany), etc.

• Team No Limit Gaming (NLG)

No Limit Gaming is a High Roller and E-sports professionals team composed of 15 grinders with over $100,000,000 in profits. N8 has an exclusive partnership with NLG, and its main objective is to “bridge the gap between poker and esports.”

• Friends of Natural8

A group of six players that heavily use social networks (including Twitch streams) to promote their game at N8. The team is composed by Laura Cintra (Brazil), Gatita Yan (Malaysia), Rinat Lyapin (Russia), Peter Hsieh (Taiwan), Jianxi Fu (China), and Hristo Anastassov (Bulgaria).

Pros and cons of playing at Natural8

Playing on N8 is an EV+ decision:

• TOP3 poker network;
• Massive MTT grid;
• Exclusive promotions;
• Benefits for our VIP players;
• Soft lineups with Chinese players.

In honor of the truth, we also share some drawbacks of the poker room:

• The PVI rake structure isn’t transparent, and that affects the cashback directly;
• There is no HUD support;
• The client has no filters;
• High rake.

Benefits of playing with us

Worldpokerdeals has over eight years of experience working with online poker rooms from every corner of the globe. When you play with us, you can rest assured that we test the sites we offer and we guarantee the best conditions for our players.

Feel free to verify our reputation in global gambling affiliate communities:

Reach our team to get detailed information about our deal:

Telegram: alexey_wpd

WhatsApp: +66658566798

Skype: live:newbheartstoned

Email: [email protected]

FAQ

No need to luck any further! Worldpokerdeals is a trusted affiliate, and we offer a top deal for Natural8 players. Please don’t forget to ask for your extra rakeback!

Yes! Natural8 accepted grinders from all those countries.

Yes! Natural 8 is one of the top GGPoker Network skins and has a strong reputation on the market.

Natural8 Poker Download

No! All third-party software is prohibited on the site. There is a built-in called Smart HUD that displays some information about the game.

No! This is prohibited by the network and can lead to account blocking.

With our top deal, you can get more than 50% rakeback every month.

The Good Game Network releases new promotions every month with hundreds of thousands of dollars added for all poker formats.

This page describes the ranking of poker hands. This applies not only in the game of poker itself, but also in certain other card games such as Chinese Poker, Chicago, Poker Menteur and Pai Gow Poker.

• Low Poker Ranking: A-5, 2-7, A-6
• Hand probabilities and multiple decks - probability tables

Standard Poker Hand Ranking

There are 52 cards in the pack, and the ranking of the individual cards, from high to low, is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In standard poker - that is to say in the formal casino and tournament game played internationally and the home game as normally played in North America - there is no ranking between the suits for the purpose of comparing hands - so for example the king of hearts and the king of spades are equal. (Note however that suit ranking is sometimes used for other purposes such as allocating seats, deciding who bets first, and allocating the odd chip when splitting a pot that can't be equally divided. See ranking of suits for details.)

A poker hand consists of five cards. The categories of hand, from highest to lowest, are listed below. Any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower category (so for example any three of a kind beats any two pairs). Between hands in the same category the rank of the individual cards decides which is better, as described in more detail below.

In games where a player has more than five cards and selects five to form a poker hand, the remaining cards do not play any part in the ranking. Poker ranks are always based on five cards only, and if these cards are equal the hands are equal, irrespective of the ranks of any unused cards.

Some readers may wonder why one would ever need to compare (say) two threes of a kind of equal rank. This obviously cannot arise in basic draw poker, but such comparisons are needed in poker games using shared (community) cards, such as Texas Hold'em, in poker games with wild cards, and in other card games using poker combinations.

1. Straight Flush

If there are no wild cards, this is the highest type of poker hand: five cards of the same suit in sequence - such as J-10-9-8-7. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so 5-4-3-2-A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush. The highest type of straight flush, A-K-Q-J-10 of a suit, is known as a Royal Flush. The cards in a straight flush cannot 'turn the corner': 4-3-2-A-K is not valid.

2. Four of a kind

Four cards of the same rank - such as four queens. The fifth card, known as the kicker, can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as 'quads', and in some parts of Europe it is called a 'poker', though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher - so 3-3-3-3-A is beaten by 4-4-4-4-2. If two or more players have four of a kind of the same rank, the rank of the kicker decides. For example in Texas Hold'em with J-J-J-J-9 on the table (available to all players), a player holding K-7 beats a player holding Q-10 since the king beats the queen. If one player holds 8-2 and another holds 6-5 they split the pot, since the 9 kicker makes the best hand for both of them. If one player holds A-2 and another holds A-K they also split the pot because both have an ace kicker.

3. Full House

This combination, sometimes known as a boat, consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank - for example three sevens and two tens (colloquially known as 'sevens full of tens' or 'sevens on tens'). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind are equal, the rank of the pairs decides.

4. Flush

Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K-J-9-3-2 beats K-J-7-6-5 because the nine beats the seven.If all five cards are equal, the flushes are equal.

5. Straight

Five cards of mixed suits in sequence - for example Q-J-10-9-8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A, known as a wheel, is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five.

6. Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank plus two unequal cards. This combination is also known as Triplets or Trips. When comparing two threes of a kind the rank of the three equal cards determines which is higher. If the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.So for example 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-5, which beats 4-4-4-Q-9, which beats 4-4-4-Q-8.

7. Two Pairs

A pair consists of two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards - so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4.

8. Pair

A hand with two cards of equal rank and three cards which are different from these and from each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better - so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-8-7 because the 9 beats the 8.

9. Nothing

Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. This combination is often called High Card and sometimes No Pair. The cards must all be of different ranks, not consecutive, and contain at least two different suits. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-6-4 because the jack beats the ten.

Hand Ranking in Low Poker

There are several poker variations in which the lowest hand wins: these are sometimes known as Lowball. There are also 'high-low' variants in which the pot is split between the highest and the lowest hand. A low hand with no combination is normally described by naming its highest card - for example 8-6-5-4-2 would be described as '8-down' or '8-low'.

It first sight it might be assumed that in low poker the hands rank in the reverse order to their ranking in normal (high) poker, but this is not quite the case. There are several different ways to rank low hands, depending on how aces are treated and whether straights and flushes are counted.

Ace to Five

This seems to be the most popular system. Straights and flushes do not count, and Aces are always low. The best hand is therefore 5-4-3-2-A, even if the cards are all in one suit. Then comes 6-4-3-2-A, 6-5-3-2-A, 6-5-4-2-A, 6-5-4-3-A, 6-5-4-3-2, 7-4-3-2-A and so on. Note that when comparing hands, the highest card is compared first, just as in standard poker. So for example 6-5-4-3-2 is better than 7-4-3-2-A because the 6 is lower than the 7. The best hand containing a pair is A-A-4-3-2. This version is sometimes called 'California Lowball'.

When this form of low poker is played as part of a high-low split variant, there is sometimes a condition that a hand must be 'eight or better' to qualify to win the low part of the pot. In this case a hand must consist of five unequal cards, all 8 or lower, to qualify for low. The worst such hand is 8-7-6-5-4.

Deuce to Seven

The hands rank in almost the same order as in standard poker, with straights and flushes counting and the lowest hand wins. The difference from normal poker is that Aces are always high , so that A-2-3-4-5 is not a straight, but ranks between K-Q-J-10-8 and A-6-4-3-2. The best hand in this form is 7-5-4-3-2 in mixed suits, hence the name 'deuce to seven'. The next best is 7-6-4-3-2, then 7-6-5-3-2, 7-6-5-4-2, 8-5-4-3-2, 8-6-4-3-2, 8-6-5-3-2, 8-6-5-4-2, 8-6-5-4-3, 8-7-4-3-2, etc. The highest card is always compared first, so for example 8-6-5-4-3 is better than 8-7-4-3-2 even though the latter contains a 2, because the 6 is lower than the 7. The best hand containing a pair is 2-2-5-4-3, but this would be beaten by A-K-Q-J-9 - the worst 'high card' hand. This version is sometimes called 'Kansas City Lowball'.

Ace to Six

Many home poker players play that straights and flushes count, but that aces can be counted as low. In this version 5-4-3-2-A is a bad hand because it is a straight, so the best low hand is 6-4-3-2-A. There are a couple of issues around the treatment of aces in this variant.

• First, what about A-K-Q-J-10? Since aces are low, this should not count as a straight. It is a king-down, and is lower and therefore better than K-Q-J-10-2.
• Second, a pair of aces is the lowest and therefore the best pair, beating a pair of twos.

It is likely that some players would disagree with both the above rulings, preferring to count A-K-Q-J-10 as a straight and in some cases considering A-A to be the highest pair rather than the lowest. It would be wise to check that you agree on these details before playing ace-to-six low poker with unfamiliar opponents.

Selecting from more than five cards

Note that in games where more than five cards are available, the player is free to select whichever cards make the lowest hand. For example a player in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better whose cards are 10-8-6-6-3-2-A can omit the 10 and one of the 6's to create a qualifying hand for low.

Poker Hand Ranking with Wild Cards

A wild card card that can be used to substitute for a card that the holder needs to make up a hand. In some variants one or more jokers are added to the pack to act as wild cards. In others, one or more cards of the 52-card pack may be designated as wild - for example all the twos ('deuces wild') or the jacks of hearts and spades ('one-eyed jacks wild', since these are the only two jacks shown in profile in Anglo-American decks).

The most usual rule is that a wild card can be used either

1. to represent any card not already present in the hand, or
2. to make the special combination of 'five of a kind'.

This approach is not entirely consistent, since five of a kind - five cards of equal rank - must necessarily include one duplicate card, since there are only four suits. The only practical effect of the rule against duplicates is to prevent the formation of a 'double ace flush'. So for example in the hand A-9-8-5-joker, the joker counts as a K, not a second ace, and this hand is therefore beaten by A-K-10-4-3, the 10 beating the 9.

Five of a Kind

When playing with wild cards, five of a kind becomes the highest type of hand, beating a royal flush. Between fives of a kind, the higher beats the lower, five aces being highest of all.

The Bug

Blackjack Natural

Some games, especially five card draw, are often played with a bug. This is a joker added to the pack which acts as a limited wild card. It can either be used as an ace, or to complete a straight or a flush. Thus the highest hand is five aces (A-A-A-A-joker), but other fives of a kind are impossible - for example 6-6-6-6-joker would count as four sixes with an ace kicker and a straight flush would beat this hand. Also a hand like 8-8-5-5-joker counts as two pairs with the joker representing an ace, not as a full house.

Wild Cards in Low Poker

In Low Poker, a wild card can be used to represent a card of a rank not already present in the player's hand. It is then sometimes known as a 'fitter'. For example 6-5-4-2-joker would count as a pair of sixes in normal poker with the joker wild, but in ace-to-five low poker the joker could be used as an ace, and in deuce-to-seven low poker it could be used as a seven to complete a low hand.

Lowest Card Wild

Some home poker variants are played with the player's lowest card (or lowest concealed card) wild. In this case the rule applies to the lowest ranked card held at the time of the showdown, using the normal order ace (high) to two (low). Aces cannot be counted as low to make them wild.

Double Ace Flush

Some people play with the house rule that a wild card can represent any card, including a duplicate of a card already held. It then becomes possible to have a flush containing two or more aces. Flushes with more than one ace are not allowed unless specifically agreed as a house rule.

Natural versus Wild

Some play with the house rule that a natural hand beats an equal hand in which one or more of the cards are represented by wild cards. This can be extended to specify that a hand with more wild cards beats an otherwise equal hand with fewer wild cards. This must be agreed in advance: in the absence of any agreement, wild cards are as good as the natural cards they represent.

Incomplete Hands

In some poker variants, such as No Peek, it is necessary to compare hands that have fewer than five cards. With fewer than five cards, you cannot have a straight, flush or full house. You can make a four of a kind or two pairs with only four cards, triplets with three cards, a pair with two cards and a 'high card' hand with just one card.

The process of comparing first the combination and then the kickers in descending order is the same as when comparing five-card hands. In hands with unequal numbers of cards any kicker that is present in the hand beats a missing kicker. So for example 8-8-K beats 8-8-6-2 because the king beats the 6, but 8-8-6-2 beats 8-8-6 because a 2 is better than a missing fourth card. Similarly a 10 by itself beats 9-5, which beats 9-3-2, which beats 9-3, which beats a 9 by itself.

Ranking of suits

In standard poker there is no ranking of suits for the purpose of comparing hands. If two hands are identical apart from the suits of the cards then they count as equal. In standard poker, if there are two highest equal hands in a showdown, the pot is split between them. Standard poker rules do, however, specify a hierarchy of suits: spades (highest), hearts, diamonds, clubs (lowest) (as in Contract Bridge), which is used to break ties for special purposes such as:

• drawing cards to allocate players to seats or tables;
• deciding who bets first in stud poker according to the highest or lowest upcard;
• allocating a chip that is left over when a pot cannot be shared exactly between two or more players.

I have, however, heard from several home poker players who play by house rules that use this same ranking of suits to break ties between otherwise equal hands. For some reason, players most often think of this as a way to break ties between royal flushes, which would be most relevant in a game with many wild cards, where such hands might become commonplace. However, if you want to introduce a suit ranking it is important also to agree how it will apply to other, lower types of hand. If one player A has 8-8-J-9-3 and player B has 8-8-J-9-3, who will win? Does player A win by having the highest card within the pair of eights, or does player B win because her highest single card, the jack, is in a higher suit? What about K-Q-7-6-2 against K-Q-7-6-2 ? So far as I know there is no universally accepted answer to these questions: this is non-standard poker, and your house rules are whatever you agree that they are. Three different rules that I have come across, when hands are equal apart from suit are:

1. Compare the suit of the highest card in the hand.
2. Compare the suit of the highest paired card - for example if two people have J-J-7-7-K the highest jack wins.
3. Compare the suit of the highest unpaired card - for example if two people have K-K-7-5-4 compare the 7's.

Although the order spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs may seem natural to Bridge players and English speakers, other suit orders are common, especially in some European countries. Up to now, I have come across:

• spades (high), hearts, clubs, diamonds (low)
• spades (high), diamonds, clubs, hearts (low)
• hearts (high), spades, diamonds, clubs (low) (in Greece and in Turkey)
• hearts (high), diamonds, spades, clubs (low) (in Austria and in Sweden)
• hearts (high), diamonds, clubs, spades (low) (in Italy)
• diamonds (high), spades, hearts, clubs (low) (in Brazil)
• diamonds (high), hearts, spades, clubs (low) (in Brazil)
• clubs (high), spades, hearts, diamonds (low) (in Germany)

As with all house rules, it would be wise to make sure you have a common understanding before starting to play, especially when the group contains people with whom you have not played before.

Natural8 Poker Hud

Stripped Decks

In some places, especially in continental Europe, poker is sometimes played with a deck of less than 52 cards, the low cards being omitted. Italian Poker is an example. As the pack is reduced, a Flush becomes more difficult to make, and for this reason a Flush is sometimes ranked above a Full House in such games. In a stripped deck game, the ace is considered to be adjacent to the lowest card present in the deck, so for example when using a 36-card deck with 6's low, A-6-7-8-9 is a low straight.

Playing poker with fewer than 52 cards is not a new idea. In the first half of the 19th century, the earliest form of poker was played with just 20 cards - the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of each suit - with five cards dealt to each of four players. The only hand types recognised were, in descending order, four of a kind, full house, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, no pair.

No Unbeatable Hand

In standard poker a Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit) cannot be beaten. Even if you introduce suit ranking, the Royal Flush in the highest suit is unbeatable. In some regions, it is considered unsatisfactory to have any hand that is guaranteed to be unbeaten - there should always be a risk. There are several solutions to this.

Poker Neural Network

In Italy this is achieved by the rule 'La minima batte la massima, la massima batte la media e la media batte la minima' ('the minimum beats the maximum, the maximum beats the medium and the medium beats the minimum'). A minimum straight flush is the lowest that can be made with the deck in use. Normally they play with a stripped deck so for example with 40 cards the minimum straight flush would be A-5-6-7-8 of a suit. A maximum straight flush is 10-J-Q-K-A of a suit. All other straight flushes are medium. If two players have medium straight flushes then the one with higher ranked cards wins as usual. Also as usual a maximum straight flush beats a medium one, and a medium straight flush beats a minimum one. But if a minimum straight flush comes up against a maximum straight flush, the minimum beats the maximum. In the very rare case where three players hold a straight flush, one minimum, one medium and one maximum, the pot is split between them. See for example Italian Poker.

In Greece, where hearts is the highest suit, A-K-Q-J-10 is called an Imperial Flush, and it is beaten only by four of a kind of the lowest rank in the deck - for example 6-6-6-6 if playing with 36 cards. Again, in very rare cases there could also be a hand in the showdown that beats the four of a kind but is lower than the Imperial Flush, in which case the pot would be split.

Blackjack Natural 21

Hand probabilities and multiple decks

The ranking order of poker hands corresponds to their probability of occurring in straight poker, where five cards are dealt from a 52-card deck, with no wild cards and no opportunity to use extra cards to improve a hand. The rarer a hand the higher it ranks.

This is neither an essential nor an original feature of poker, and it ceases to be true when wild cards are introduced. In fact, with a large number of wild cards, it is almost inevitable that the higher hand types will be the commoner, not rarer, since wild cards will be used to help make the most valuable type of hand from the available cards.

Mark Brader has provided probability tables showing the frequency of each poker hand type when five cards are dealt from a 52-card deck, and also showing how these probabilities would change if multiple decks were used.