The Gang: The Jokers & More
The Gang: The Jokers & More Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Jokers
Game materials: 2 joker cards
The rules of the base game apply with the following change: Shuffle the two jokers in with the 52 cards of the base game.
What happens if you get a joker as a pocket card?
- Tell the other players that you have a joker.
- Then place the joker card face down on the discard pile.
- Then draw two cards from the deck. Choose one of these cards to keep for your pocket. Place the other card face down on the discard pile without showing it to the other players.
Example: (illustrated on page 17 of the printed rulebook.)
Special case: If one of the two newly-drawn cards is also a joker, you can either …
- … add the other card you drew to your pocket cards
- … place the two cards you just drew face down on the discard pile and draw two more cards from the deck. Choose one of these two cards and place it in your pocket cards. Discard the other card.
What happens if one of the community cards is a joker?
Place the joker card face down on the discard pile and draw two new cards from the deck. Place the two new cards stacked on top of each other in the community cards so both are visible.
Example: (illustrated on page 17 of the printed rulebook.)
Special case: If one of the two newly-drawn cards is also a joker, replace it again with two cards from the deck. Then place all three cards stacked on top of each other in the community cards.
To evaluate your poker hand, you may only use one of the two (or three) stacked cards — whichever one gives you the best hand.
Example: (illustrated on page 17 of the printed rulebook.)
The 4 Poker Variants
The base game of The Gang uses the rules for the poker variant Texas Hold 'em. You can also play The Gang with the rules of a different poker variant. The variants differ in how many pocket cards you have, how many community cards there are, and which community cards count for whom.
Choose one of the following four poker variants. Read the rules of the variant and then give it a try.
The variants make the game — depending on the version — a bit more complex, more variable, or just weirder. There's something for everyone.
You can of course also invent your own poker variations and try those out. Get creative!
Poker Variant: Omaha
In Round 1, each player is dealt four pocket cards instead of two.
For each player: During the Showdown, you must use exactly two of your four pocket cards — even if you could build a better hand with more or fewer pocket cards.
You must therefore choose the two pocket cards which give you the strongest hand (consisting of five cards) when combined with three of the five community cards.
Poker Variant: Seven Card Stud
In Round 1, each player is dealt three pocket cards instead of two.
There are no community cards.
Instead, in each round (1 to 4) all players are dealt one personal card, which lies face up in front of them. Therefore, after Round 4, there will be four face-up cards in front of each player.
For each player: During the Showdown, you will build the best possible hand (consisting of exactly five cards) out of the seven cards available to you (your three pocket cards + your four personal face-up cards)!
Poker Variant: Banana Split
In Round 1, each player is dealt two pocket cards.
There are no community cards.
Instead, in Rounds 2, 3, and 4, one face-up card is dealt between each pair of neighboring players. Therefore, at the end of Round 4, there will be three face-up cards between each pair of neighboring players.
For each player: During the Showdown, you will build the best possible hand (consisting of exactly five cards) out of the eight cards available to you (your two pocket cards, the three face-up cards to your left, and the three face-up cards to your right)!
Poker Variant: Vote of Change
In Round 1, each player is dealt two pocket cards.
After cards are dealt in Round 1, five community cards are placed in the middle. From then on, at the beginning of each round, you will decide which of the five community cards to discard and replace with a new card from the deck. However, you will not discuss this choice. Instead, each person will decide which card should be replaced. When everyone is ready to vote, one of you will count "3, 2, 1," out loud. On "1," each of you will point to the card that you think should be replaced (you are not allowed to abstain). The card with the most votes will be replaced. If there is a tie for the majority, all of the cards involved in the tie will be replaced.
For each player: During the Showdown, you will build the best possible hand (consisting of exactly five cards) out of the seven cards available to you (your two pocket cards + the five community cards that remain at the end of Round 4)!