How do you play Guts poker?

I've been working hard on developing an optimal strategy for Guts. My question for this thread is how do you play Guts in your home poker games? In particular:

1. Does everyone declare at the same time or do you rotate?
2. If three or more people are "in," do all but the winner have to Ante to the new pot, or only the lowest hand?
3. Do you play with 2, 3, 5, or some other number of cards?
4. Any other interesting rules?
5. If you declare at the same time, how do you do it?

With my old Seal Beach friends we did both 2- and 3-card Guts. We declared at the same time. You were supposed to hold onto your cards if you were in and drop them for out. There had been known to be arguments when somebody would late drop (and it was always the same person), with the accusation he was hoping to steal and did a late drop when somebody else was in too. His defense was that he was drunk and not paying attention.

We also sometimes did a variant similar to the one seen in the movie Lucky You, where you added cards if nobody was in, going from 3 to 5 to 7. With three cards the threes were wild, with five cards the fives, and so on.

We also played "Monte Carlo" style where everyone who didn't win had to Ante up, which created some enormous pots sometimes.

For the poll you can vote for multiple times. Please vote once in each grouping.

Thank you.

At home when we've played everyone is dealt 2 cards, looks at them, then everyone holds the cards about 6 inches off the table around the pot in the center of us. Someone counts 1, 2, 3... and if you're in you hold your cards. If you're out you drop your cards face down on the table. Anyone left holding cards is "in" and must then compare hands to resolve the pot. Everyone antes to every pot.

There's always some accusations of "late droppers" trying to see if everyone was out so they could steal the pot. This just is usually a group consensus on whether or not we think that's what they were doing. I like the idea of adding cards, makes for a lot more interesting hands.

In "in or out" games, we take a quarter under the table then if you want to stay in put it in your fist. If not, leave it hidden under the table. Then, as in Romes' way, open your fist and people with quarters are in, people without are out.

We typically played two and three card guts. Played both 'drop in order' and 'simultaneous drop' versions.

The game started with an ante, but then anyone who was 'in' and lost had to match the pot for the next round. Additionally, the winning hand also had to beat a blind hand that was dealt out and placed aside until the winning hand among the players was determined. The only time anyone had to re-ante was when the pot is broken, meaning a single player stayed in, and he/she beat the blind hand.

As I stated in the other thread I don't think I've played since high school, but we used to do 3 cards, with high card, pairs, & trips only -- no straights or flushes, no wilds.

We played similarly to the "Romes Way" as described above. Dealer says, "1... 2... 3... Drop." Drop on the word "drop," and you are 'out.' Otherwise you are 'in.' Late droppers were not taken to kindly. Drop late, and you are automatically 'in,' unless you are the only one, then you are 'out.' You may have gotten 1 warning if you were new to the game.

High hand at showdown wins the pot, everyone else that was 'in' had to match the pot. Everyone antes up for the next hand whether there was a contested pot or not. Even if everyone drops, the pot would stay, but everyone would still ante for the next hand.

We played nickle ante, but would sometimes see pots over $20.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

In "in or out" games, we take a quarter under the table then if you want to stay in put it in your fist. If not, leave it hidden under the table. Then, as in Romes' way, open your fist and people with quarters are in, people without are out.

This is what we do as well...any color chip from your stack, two hands under the table, come up with a fist, all show.

Thanks everybody for your responses. Somebody mentioned a rule that if only one person is in, then he must beat a dummy hand. We sometimes called it that way. However, I think that rule is the exception and not the norm.

Here is a preview of my analysis for Monte Carlo style (everyone but winner must match the pot) three-card guts. This is the indifference point to staying in according to the number of players.

Players	Indifference Hand
2	K-10-2
3	A-Q-8
4	5-5-K
5	9-9-7
6	J-J-Q
7	K-K-5
8	A-A-7
9	Flush -- 8-5-3
10	Flush -- 10-8-6
11	Flush -- J-10-6
12	Flush -- Q-10-4

I was only able to vote once.

We did 2 and 3 card at times and also adopted the chip in your hand method after some sketchy late drops

1) In my home games in my younger years, we would start with the first to the left of the dealer declaring and it would go clockwise. You could always get back in if someone played so if you were under the gun and checked and someone or even multiple people behind you played then you could also join.

2) Everyone antes. We would keep stacks in front of everyone to make sure it was right.

3) 3 (with 2's and 3's wild) or 5 straight for high. Sometimes in the 3-card you would draw two once you declared for a 5-card hand. 4 or 5 cards for lowball guts with a draw.

4) A dummy hand would play every time. If it had the winner then every matched pot and we continued. In high guts games, the hand would only end if one person played the dummy hand and beat it. In low, a player with a four-card 5 or better in 4-card low would scoop. In 5-card low, it took an A234 (one card didn't play)

5) In games where we declared at same time we would go below table with chips and open hands at same time. If you had a chip, you played.