Want to know how to play Irish Poker? Whether you’re looking for the poker variant, or the drinking game with the same name, we’ve got you covered.
Our complete guide explains the rules of both, as well as the history of Irish poker.
What is Irish Poker?
Irish Poker is a fun variant that’s mostly played in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It’s basically a mash-up of Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
All players initially receive four hole cards, just like in Omaha. However, two of these are discarded after the flop betting is complete.
In addition, there’s also a drinking game that’s often called Irish Poker. This involves guessing the texture of the flop, with alcohol-based forfeits for incorrect guesses.
Irish Poker History
The history of the Irish Poker variant isn’t well-known. It’s one of those games that developed seemingly at random, presumably by combining elements of existing games just for fun.
Similar to Razz, Open Face Chinese or Pineapple, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment that Irish Poker was created.
- Reward store with bonuses and tickets
- Quick and easy seating at cash game tables
- Easy to use poker hand history
Poker in Ireland
The wider history of poker in Ireland, though, is documented pretty well. And a lot of it centers around the Irish Poker Open.
Originally, players in Ireland stuck mostly to stud and draw games. But this all changed in 1979, when Irish bookmaker Terry Rogers stumbled upon the World Series of Poker while visiting Las Vegas.
He fell in love with Texas Hold’em and vowed to make the game popular back home. Just one year later, he hosted the first-ever Irish Poker Open.
Rogers continued his visits to Vegas and made friends with some of the biggest names in the game. As such, even though the early Irish Poker Open was still largely unknown, it managed to attract players like Stu Ungar and Doyle Brunson.
For a few years in the early 1990s, the Irish Poker Open was put on hold as Rogers had to care for his ailing mother. However, due to tremendous demand, the tournament resumed in 1995 and has continued to remain a mainstay on the European poker circuit.
How to Play Irish Poker – Step-by-Step
This is a fairly niche game that you won’t find online, whether in the US or at offshore poker sites.
Nevertheless, the Irish Poker rules are pretty straightforward. Just think of it as Omaha, but two of your hole cards will be discarded before the turn.
Here’s how it all works:
- Post the blinds. Two players to the left of the dealer post compulsory small and big blinds. The small blind is typically half of the big blind, just like in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
- Deal four cards to each player. The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck and deals four to each player, turned face-down. These are called “hole cards.”
- Begin the betting. The player to the left of the big blind – “under the gun” – can call, raise or fold. This round ends once everyone has called the highest bet or folded.
- Reveal the flop. The dealer places three community cards face-up in the center of the table. This is known as the “flop.”
- Second betting round. During the second round of betting, the player to the left of the dealer begins.
- Players discard two hole cards. Here’s the special Irish Poker twist. All players still in the hand must pick two of their four cards to throw away.
- Turn card is dealt. The dealer adds a fourth community card to the table – the “turn” – followed by another round of betting.
- River card is dealt. A fifth and final community card – the “river” – is revealed for all players to use.
- Final round of betting. One last round of betting now occurs. Players should now be assessing their final hand and the likelihood of it being the strongest.
- Showdown. All remaining players reveal their hands and the player with the strongest holding wins.
Irish Poker Drinking Game
So, where does the drinking game come in? If you want to add a boozy component to Irish Poker, you can start the forfeits as the flop is dealt.
Before the flop, each player guesses whether:
- The first card will be red or black
- The second card will be higher or lower than the first card. Some variants have you guessing whether this card is higher or lower than an 8.
- The third card will be a heart, club, diamond or spade.
On the turn and river, players must predict whether these cards will be:
- Red or black
- Higher or lower than the first card (or an 8)
- A spade, heart, club or diamond
Players who guess wrong must take a sip of their drink.
If things start to get messy, you may prefer to remove the skill-based element. In that case, it’s easy to transition from Irish Poker to another similar game, called “Ride the Bus”.
This is another guessing game. You’ll simply predict whether your cards will be red or black, higher or lower than the previous card, or of a particular suit.
Irish Poker – Poker Hand Rankings
Okay, you almost understand how to play Irish Poker now, but we’ve missed one thing: the hand rankings.
Luckily, they’re identical to those found in Hold’em, Omaha and pretty much any form of poker.
The table below illustrates the standard five-card hand rankings, as used in Irish Poker.
| Poker Hand Rankings | Example |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠ |
| Straight Flush | Q♦J♦10♦9♦8♦ |
| Four of a Kind | 7♣7♠7♦7♥K♣ |
| Full House | J♦J♣J♠5♣5♥ |
| Flush | K♣J♣9♣4♣3♣ |
| Straight | 9♦8♣7♠6♥5♦ |
| Three of a Kind | A♣A♠A♦7♣6♥ |
| Two Pair | Q♦Q♣8♥8♠5♥ |
| One Pair | 10♠10♣8♠6♣2♥ |
| High Card | A♥K♣9♠7♦3♣ |
Irish Poker Strategy and Tips
Since the Irish Poker rules are similar to Hold’em and Omaha, the strategy remains largely the same.
- Pre-flop hand selection is key. Look for the same type of combinations you would in Hold’em. High pairs remain premium hands, while suited connectors cards give you a shot at flushes and straights.
- Connectedness isn’t as important. The key to Omaha hand selection is “connectedness”. In Irish Poker, though, you’ll throw two cards away after the flop betting round. Having four to a straight, for example, would actively harm your chances of hitting.
- Be flexible and dynamic. Remember that you’ll be discarding two cards eventually, so don’t get too attached to hands that seem strong before the flop. You may have to split a pair in the hope of landing a straight, for instance.
- Pay attention to bet sizing. How players bet can be a big indication of the strength of their hand. Take a little time to try and spot any patterns in their behaviour. Of course, if you’re playing the drinking game, this goes out of the window quite quickly.
- Put limits in place. Irish Poker isn’t that serious and should be played for fun. Whenever alcohol is involved, there’s a chance people may get carried away. Whatever you do, don’t end up fighting because someone is losing too much.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to play Irish Poker, gather your friends, a deck of cards and some beers.
Do try to keep things fun and responsible, though. Although you won’t find this niche game on any real money poker apps, you could potentially play with your friends for cash. That’s not something we recommend.
Separate alcohol and money, and just enjoy Irish Poker for what it is – a fantastic party game.
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