53-Card Hold 'Em: The 53rd Card is the joker
In your opinion, how does adding a single joker to your deck affect how No Limit Hold 'Em is played? I'll add to this later when I'm not busy playing, but I think it would make for a very interesting game.
Does anyone here think that having two jokers in the deck would ever be playable? I mean, pocket jokers would never lose...
4 Replies
I set up a Joker Hold-Em Tournament once and it was a blast. We added a single Joker to the deck. The Joker was only playable if it was in a players hand and could be used in any format (ie to make a straight, a flush, 3 of a kind etc). If the Joker was in the Flop, Turn or River it was a dead card (unplayable) and was not replaced, resulting in only 4 community cards instead of 5. It adds a fun little twist to the game.
I have also played home games where this format also contained a progressive side pot. Where each deal a player could put a dollar up for the Joker. If they obtain the Joker they automatically win the progressive pot. If no Joker is in a players hand, the jackpot builds and it cost another dollar for the next deal if the player wants to play the progressive. A player can op in or out of the progressive pot at the beginning of each hand.
Ahh I love these revives.
Adding a joker create an interesting paradox. It is impossible to sort hand rankings by rarity with a wildcard in the deck.
Let's say we assume three of a kind > two pair. In that case, if you have a single pair, then you would always use your joker to make three of a kind making it more common than two pair.
Let's say we assume that two pair > three of a kind, then you'd always turn one pair into two pair, making it more common than three of a kind.
Whatever hand is ranked higher leads to more ways to get that hand, meaning it should not be ranked higher. Thus the paradox.
The weaker of the two hands mentioned will never play.
Yeah, I agree it wouldn't work well if dealt as a holecard but having the possibility of a joker getting dealt as part of the board could be quite interesting.
Juk 😀
Yeah I agree. What if instead of using a joker you just say deuces on the flop are wild, but only deuces on the flop. It would create these fun flops that open up a bunch of draw and hand possibilities.
When a deuce hits any pocket pair would become trips, and straight draws would have additional outs. Two deuces on the flop and you've got a situation where any suited connector has a straight flush draw and any pair makes quads. It could make for a pretty wild home game. I can imagine people calling for it on the flop. Let's go deuce deuce!
