Northern Colorado Poker Wiki

The theme of this game is that each player chooses which of their cards they will show to the rest of the table, while maintaining the format of three cards face-down and four face-up. Each player is dealt three cards face-down. On the count of three, each player chooses which of the three cards they will turn face-up to the rest of the table.

This is followed by a betting round, opened by the player with the highest card showing. Another card is dealt face-down to each player, and each player again must turn one of them face-up on the count of three. After another betting round opened by the player with the best hand showing, this continues until each player has been dealt a total of six cards and there have been four betting rounds.

At this point, each player has two cards face-down and four cards face-up. The seventh and final card is dealt face-down, and the final betting round is again opened by the player with the best hand showing. Best hand wins.

Variations:

• Shifting Sands: Played as Roll Your Own, except that the first card that a player turns face up, and all matching cards, are wild in that player's hand.
• Monterey: Played as Roll Your Own, except that each player's hole card at showdown, and all matching cards, are wild in that player's hand.
• Flip: Four cards are dealt face down to each player. Each player flips face up any two cards of their choice, followed by a betting round opened by the player with the best hand showing. Regular seven card stud ensues, with two more cards dealt face up and the final card dealt face down. Best hand wins.
• 5-card. Played as 5-card stud instead of 7. Each player is dealt 2-cards face-down and puts on face up. The player keeps both down cards at the last round of betting.

Strategies:

The purpose of players choosing which cards to show the table is strategic. Players with bad hands can show the table their best cards to try to intimidate. Or for the opposite effect, players with good hands can show only their weak and mismatched cards to the rest of the table to give the impression of a weaker hand. This also gives a player the advantage of trying to gain the opening of a betting round, by showing high cards.