Tango Poker

Knock Poker for a Different Game

Tired of the usual poker game? Feeling bored with five card stud, seven card stud, and all the other studs? Want to try something different but still play poker?

You're a conservative poker player. You enjoy the game but not too big on spending most of your cash on one night. You like taking risks but not big risks. You still want to go home with some cash in your pocket after all. You want to play a game of poker that still gives you that anticipation of winning but doesn't take a big toll on your pocket.

Since poker has a lot of variations, it is very easy to change it up a little bit. It makes the game more interesting and fun. There's nothing wrong with wanting to try something different. With so many options, the only problem is which one?

One variation of poker that would be great to try out is knock poker. Knock poker is still poker but somehow similar to rummy. This is not a high risk betting game if you're just trying out. However, if you want the stakes to be raised, it can always be arranged among you and the other players.

If you're not into losing the cash all of a sudden, knock poker is for you. You don't have to bet every single round of cards. You don't have to call or raise. The betting isn't competitive so you don't really have much to lose.

The game is good for three to five players. Each player should place one chip as ante into the pot. Of course, the number of chips may vary depending on what has been agreed upon prior to the game by all the players. The game starts out just like an ordinary game of draw poker. The dealer distributes the cards face down starting from the player on his left. One by one the cards are dealt to each player until everyone has five cards. The dealer then places the undealt stack of cards at the center of the table. This is called the stock.

From the stock, the player to the left of the dealer draws a card from the top of the stack. He then discards one card from his hand. The player after him follows. He also draws a card then discards another one from his hand. This procedure is repeated by all the players involved in the game.

Any player at anytime during the game as long as it is their turn can knock. The player must first draw a card then before discarding a card can knock. The player then discards a card. The other players have one turn to draw a card and discard another card. These players have the option to drop or fold during the game or stay in and challenge the knocker. Any player who drops or folds should pay the knocker one chip. Players continue to draw until it reaches the knocker. The knocker does not have a turn to draw a card. Instead, the knocker and every active player declares their cards.

Just like any other poker game, the objective is to win the pot. And to win the pot, a player must have the highest hand. If the knocker has the best hand among all the active players, the knocker wins the pot and the remaining players pay him two chips each. If the knocker and another player have similar hands and there is a tie, they split the pot and all the additional chips from the active players. The chips paid to the knocker by those who dropped are not included in the split. However, if another player has the highest hand, he wins the pot while the knocker is obliged to pay every active player two chips each.

Knock poker can be about luck. It can be about patience where you just have to be patient enough to wait for the right cards for that winning hand. Or, it can also be about risks. It can be about you being confident in your cards and knowing that no one else would have a better hand than you. Knock poker is all about the cards. That's what makes it so appealing. Try it. You just might like it.