PLAYING TIPS for CRISS-CROSS STUD POKER
HOW TO PLAY CRISS-CROSS STUD Poker:
Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Place 5 cards face down on the table with 1 vertical row of 3 cards, and one card placed on either side of the middle card to form a horizontal row of 3 cards. See diagram below. Players select any 5 cards from among their 4 hole cards plus the 3 cards in either the vertical row (VMV) or the horizontal row (HMH) to make their hand. Each board card is exposed after a round of betting, with the middle card exposed last. May be played high-low split. Variation of Criss-Cross poker: 1. Reveal 2 cards (1 each of the horizontal and vertical rows) at a time. This reduces the number of betting rounds and tends to keep more players in the hand. V
H M H V |
SUMMARY of ACTION
Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Arrange board cards. Bet Reveal 1 card from vertical (V) row (not middle). Bet Reveal 1 card from horizontal (H) row (not middle). Bet Reveal 1 card from vertical (V) row (not middle). Bet Reveal 1 card from horizonal (H) row (not middle). Bet Reveal middle card (M). Bet High only or Hi-Lo Cards Speak: Showdown High-Low Declaration: Declare Bet Showdown |
PLAYING TIPS for CRISS-CROSS STUD POKER
Your hand in Criss-Cross poker is taken from 7 cards: the 4 hole cards dealt to you, plus 3 of board cards. You may use any combination of hole and board cards to make your hand (4 hole & 1 board; 3 hole & 2 board, or 2 hole & 3 board). It is highly desirable to have at least 3 and preferably 4 well-coordinated hole cards to play.
STARTING HAND SELECTION
The very best high starting hand you could hope for is 4 of a kind. You have what is almost assuredly the best hand right from the start. The board can neither improve nor counterfeit your quads but could (very rarely) give another player a bigger hand. That is such a far-off possibility that it should not concern you. Unfortunately, being dealt quads is about a 20,000 to 1 long shot. Another rare starting hand is 4 to a straight flush, including 1 gapper. With this type of hand, you will either draw a fabulous hand (straight flush), a decent hand (regular flush), a vulnerable straight or nothing (unless it consists of low cards). Excellent starting hands that occur more frequently are trips and two pair. These hands are just one board card away from becoming a huge hand. Four cards to a flush is also a decent starting hand, while four to a straight is typically not worth playing unless it can be played for low. With the exception of starting with trips, having only 3 cards to these hands requires the help of both cards from one of the board pairs and that is much more difficult. But if they include multiple possibilities like a pair or 3 low cards they may be worth playing.
Excellent starting hands for low are obvious: 4 cards of 6 or lower. Such a hand will also include straight possibilities, vulnerable though it is. Having 3 to a flush (including the ace) gives an additional possibility.
Three low cards, all 4 or under, is a decent start, but will take help from 2 of 3 of the board cards. Unless you have other possibilities for high, having just A2 is not a reasonable low hand as it requires 3 nearly perfect board cards.
Your hand in Criss-Cross poker is taken from 7 cards: the 4 hole cards dealt to you, plus 3 of board cards. You may use any combination of hole and board cards to make your hand (4 hole & 1 board; 3 hole & 2 board, or 2 hole & 3 board). It is highly desirable to have at least 3 and preferably 4 well-coordinated hole cards to play.
STARTING HAND SELECTION
The very best high starting hand you could hope for is 4 of a kind. You have what is almost assuredly the best hand right from the start. The board can neither improve nor counterfeit your quads but could (very rarely) give another player a bigger hand. That is such a far-off possibility that it should not concern you. Unfortunately, being dealt quads is about a 20,000 to 1 long shot. Another rare starting hand is 4 to a straight flush, including 1 gapper. With this type of hand, you will either draw a fabulous hand (straight flush), a decent hand (regular flush), a vulnerable straight or nothing (unless it consists of low cards). Excellent starting hands that occur more frequently are trips and two pair. These hands are just one board card away from becoming a huge hand. Four cards to a flush is also a decent starting hand, while four to a straight is typically not worth playing unless it can be played for low. With the exception of starting with trips, having only 3 cards to these hands requires the help of both cards from one of the board pairs and that is much more difficult. But if they include multiple possibilities like a pair or 3 low cards they may be worth playing.
Excellent starting hands for low are obvious: 4 cards of 6 or lower. Such a hand will also include straight possibilities, vulnerable though it is. Having 3 to a flush (including the ace) gives an additional possibility.
Three low cards, all 4 or under, is a decent start, but will take help from 2 of 3 of the board cards. Unless you have other possibilities for high, having just A2 is not a reasonable low hand as it requires 3 nearly perfect board cards.
PROBABILITY or ODDS TABLES
Probabilities of being dealt hands with 4 cards. This information is useful in games in which you can use 4 hole cards (e.g. Criss-Cross, Rock-leigh, Forty-Two, Hex). These are the probabilities of these hands being dealt as your 4 hole cards.
Probabilities of being dealt hands with 4 cards. This information is useful in games in which you can use 4 hole cards (e.g. Criss-Cross, Rock-leigh, Forty-Two, Hex). These are the probabilities of these hands being dealt as your 4 hole cards.