How To Play
RULES
The same
Mechanics are identical to Texas Hold'em - 2 hole cards, flop, turn and river.
Different
Play both hole cards and three of the community cards. You cannot play the board.
This ensures all players have a distinct best 5 card hand.
Suit Hierarchy and Hand Comparison
Widedeck Poker uses a fixed suit hierarchy to ensure that every hand comparison produces a single winner. There are no ties in Widedeck Poker.
The suit hierarchy, from highest to lowest, is:
Ruby → Emerald → Sapphire → Gold → Silver → Bronze
Hand Comparison Order
When comparing two hands of the same hand class, Widedeck applies the following order without exception:
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Hand ranking (e.g. two-pairs vs two-pairs)
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Suit hierarchy of the defining card(s)
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Remaining card ranks (kickers), only if still required
Suit hierarchy therefore takes precedence over kicker rank.
Hands Defined by Suit
For hands explicitly defined by suit (including 4-Flush, Flush, and Straight Flush):
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A higher-ranked suit always beats a lower-ranked suit
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Card ranks within the hand are compared only if the suits are identical
Example:
A Ruby Flush beats an Emerald Flush, regardless of kicker cards.
Design Note (Intentional, Not Optional)
Suit hierarchy is a primary strategic axis in Widedeck Poker.
It is not a tie-breaker, and it is not cosmetic.
Players are expected to:
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value suit selection pre-flop
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recognise suit-driven dominance post-flop
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adapt strategy accordingly
What Is A Good
Starting Hand?
Pairs A pair of Aces, Kings, Queens or Jacks are strong. Having a Ruby in your pocket pair makes them even stronger. Note, the suits within your hand are often more important than the rank.
Drawback : Straights are impossible when you hold a pocket pair
Suited Connectors: Two hole cards of the same suit can pay dividends in WideDeck due to the introduction of a 4-Flush. Everyone loves suited cards which 'connect' as you get the added benefit of hitting straights.
Detail : Flush strength is based on the suit, not the high card.
High cards Ace-King and other combinations of high cards can be played aggressively pre-flop, especially with high-ranking suits.
Problem : Running into AA or KK is far more common in WideDeck
4-Flush
Ranking above a straight, the 4-flush is when your 5 card hand includes 4 of a specific suit.
It allows for semi-bluffs, big draws and can often be nutted on unpaired boards.
2-Pairs
One Pair is rarely good enough at showdown -
so two pairs become more important.
Two Pair hands are compared in the following order:
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Rank of the higher pair
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Rank of the lower pair
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If both pair ranks are identical, compare suit hierarchy of the higher pair
The highest straight in Widedeck is:
A-K-Q-J-T (Ace-high straight)
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Straights are ordered by the rank of their highest card
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Ace can be used as the highest card
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Any other valid straight (including A-6-7-8-9) ranks below it
A-6-7-8-9 is the new Wheel
If two players both make A-K-Q-J-T, then:
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the suit of the Ace (the highest card) determines the winner using Widedeck’s suit hierarchy
Example: How Do Suits Work?
Player 1
Player 2
Flop
Turn
River
Player 1 is holding Ace-Jack of Sapphires, Player 2 holds Silver Ace-Ruby King.
Ace-Jack is leading because the Ace of Sapphires is higher than the Ace of Silver.
The Kicker is secondary to suit
Both players pay to see the flop which reveals an Ace- Seven- Six.
Both players hit a Pair of Aces, but Player 1 has the higher Pair of Aces.
On the turn, the Gold King gives Player 2 Two Pairs: Aces & Kings.
Player 1 has one pair, and only has five outs
The 8 of sapphires on the River is one of those outs, giving player 1 a 4-flush.
On this board, he holds the best hand possible, also known as the nuts.