Jacks or Better, Trips to Win

Five cards dealt. Initial betting round can only be opened by a player holding a Pair of Jacks or higher. A player can only win the pot if that player is holding cards that are worth a Three of a Kind or higher. If no player can open the betting round, or if no player can win the game, then each player re-antes and the cards are redealt by the player to the left of the dealer.

Variations

An interesting variation to this game comes from Dave Meichsner. Any player who folds throughout any point in the game is out of the game until it’s over and somebody has won. If the game is re-dealt because nobody could open with Jacks or nobody could win with Trips, that player that folded is not dealt back in on subsequent re-deals. This helps keep people in the game.

Jacks and Back
If no player can open with a pair of Jacks or better, then the game is played as Lowball, with a draw and final betting round.

A less popular version of this game states that on the first hand, if no player can open with a pair of Jacks or better, than the game is re-dealt as Queens or Better, Trips to Win. If nobody has Queens or better to open, then it becomes Kings or Better, Trips to Win, then Aces. After that, if the game continues, then it is back to Jacks or Better, Trips to Win.