Poker Game
High Card Flush

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It seems that every time one walks by a poker game in a casino table pit these days there’s a new variation begging for your action. Now there’s another one called High Card Flush. (HCF) It’s also a poker variant of sorts. The exception is that you don’t have to know anything about poker rankings to play. As long as you can count and know the difference between Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs you can play.

The objective of HCF is for the player to have a better flush hand than the dealer in order to win. A flush hand is multiple cards with the same suit. For hands with an equal amount of cards with the same suit, the higher the rank, the stronger the hand. For example, a hand with a King, 8, and 7 of Clubs would beat a hand with a Queen, Jack, and 9 of Diamonds because the King outranks the Queen. Also the quantity of flush cards in any one suit will outrank a hand with a lesser quantity even if the card values are lower. For example, in this poker game a four card 8, 5, 2, 7 flush will beat a three card A, Q, J flush.

How to Play This Poker Game  

All players must first make a mandatory ante wager. There are also two optional side wagers that pay a winning hand even if the player loses to the dealer. They are flush and straight flush.

 Each player and the dealer receive seven cards face down from a standard 52 card deck. After reviewing their cards players then make one of two choices: Fold and lose the ante, or make a raise bet. Here is the recommended table for the raise wager:

Raise 1X the ante if you have a 2,3, or 4 card flush

Raise 2X the ante with a 5 card flush

Raise 3X the ante with a 6 or 7 card flush

 The dealer must have at least a 3 card flush, nine high to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, the remaining players have their antes paid at even money and all call bets push.

 If the dealer qualifies the hand is compared to the remaining players. The higher ranking hands win. If the dealer beats a player, the ante and call bets are collected. If a player beats the dealer, all bets are paid at even money. The house edge is about 3% for the ante and play wagers.

Optional Side Bets

Here is the pay table for the flush side bet, which pays when the card values are in any order:

Flush Hand                           Pays

7 card                                300/1

6 card                                   100/1

5 card                                   10/1

4 card                                   1/1

The house edge for this option is about 8%.

Here is the pay table for the straight flush option, which pays when the card values are in sequential order:

Straight Flush Hand                       Pays

7 card                                          8,000/1

6 card                                          1,000/1

5 card                                          100/1

4 card                                          60/1

3 card                                          7/1

The house edge for this option is about 13%.

High Card Flush is currently making the rounds in Nevada and Atlantic City casinos and a few other jurisdictions. It’s also at Dover downs in Delaware.

If you want to try this poker game for free play on line go to

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