Soko is a variant of Five-Card Stud, the game is also known as Scandinavian- or Canadian Stud. There is a different (expanded) hand ranking in Soko. Sökö is a stud poker game. In stud poker each player receives a mix of downcards (only you can see these) and upcards (that everyone can see) dealt in multiple betting rounds. All stud games starts with at least one downcard to start the “guessing game” All card are individual, there are no community cards as in hold'em games. Stud games are also typically non-positional games, meaning that the player who bets first on each subsequent round does not necessarily have to be the same. Antes are used instead of blinds.
Soko is played with five cards, whereof only one is a downcard and four are upcards. One downcard and one upcard are dealt before the first betting round. Thereafter one card is followed by one betting round, in total there are four betting rounds. The best five-card poker hand – according to the hand ranking of Soko – wins the pot. This five-card poker hand is by necessity the five cards dealt to each player (there are no choices as to which cards make the best combination as in Texas Hold’em or Seven-Card Stud). Only one hand is dealt.
Note the passus “according to the hand ranking of Soko” in the above paragraph. There are two additional sanctioned poker hands in Soko. Four-flush and four-straights beats one pair. Logically the 4-flush beats the 4-straight and both hands lose to a two pair.
Sequence of Game Play
1. Antes Each player must place a forced bet, the ante, before the cards are dealt.
2. Starting hand Each player receives one card face down and one card face up. The face down card is also known as the hole card, and the first open card as the door card.
3. First betting round The player with the lowest ranking upcard (also by suit) has to open the betting. That player has a choice of making the bring-in bet, which is less than a full bet, or making a regular full sized bet. The action then continues clockwise.
4. Third street Each player receives another card face up.
5. Second betting round From now on the player with the best poker hand showing (of the upcards that is) starts the action.
6. Fourth street Each player receives another card face up.
7. Third betting round The betting advance as before. (In a fixed limit betting structure the bets are now doubled.)
8. Fifth street, river Each player receives fifth and final card face up.
9. Fourth betting round The last betting round advance as before. The hand ranking of Soko could enter the picture and decide who acts first on 5th street with four upcards.
10. Showdown If more than one player reaches this stage, all remaining players show their hands. The first bettor or last raiser shows first, and then only those who beat that hand has to show. The highest ranked hand according to the Soko hand ranking wins the pot.
Example
Player As cards
Player Bs cards
Studying each players hand in this example shows that Player B must have started the betting on the first round of betting as of the upcards the five is lower ranked than the jack. On all subsequent rounds, player A has started the action as player As upcards are better than player Bs all the way. Player B is never ahead of player A. Player B's pair of fives is improved to a four-flush on the river but is beat by player A's two pair.
Player As final hand
Player Bs final hand
In Depth Issues
Suits To determine who should start the action on the first round of betting, if two or more players have the same lowest card, suits are utilized. The person who brings it in is determined by suit order progressing from clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.
Position To determine who should start the action on subsequent betting rounds, if there is a tie for the highest hand, position is considered. The player who received cards first, is then also first to act.
Option If a pair is showing on third street, players has the option to make a single or double bet. As soon as a player makes a double bet, the following betting is made with these bet increments. When playing online, such rules are not necessary to know by heart as all the legal betting options will be presented on the screen.
Cap The term cap is used to describe the final raise in a round since betting is then capped and no one can make another raise. A cap of three raises is usually used. Increasing the amount wagered by the opening forced bet up to a full bet does not count as a raise, but merely as a completion of the bet. So three raises can still be made before the cap is reached.
Added 2006-02-18 13:55:44
