Russian Poker
Introduction
1. Russian Poker is a 6-card variant of Oasis Poker that first appeared in Russia in the early 1990s soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
2. The object of the game is to excel the Dealer with the five-card Poker combination of your hand.
3. Russian Poker is played with one deck of 52 cards without Jokers.
4. You may choose to play in up to three boxes: the main box is in the middle where you can select different options; box 1 and box 3 (side boxes) areto the left and right from the middle oneandare played “blindly”, i.e. with face-down cards (please see part 4. “Playing Blind”).
5. Our version is a multiplayer game. On each box, an unlimited number of players can play and each player can choose different options offered during the game.
6. The game uses standard Poker rules for ranking and comparing hands, whereas the lowest one is Ace-King and the highest is a Royal Flush (please see part 10. “Winning combinations and pay-outs”).
7. The Dealer needs to qualify with a hand of Ace-King or better; otherwise, your “Ante” wagers are paid at odds 1:1 and “Bet” wagers are pushed. If the Dealer qualifies, you are paid according to a fixed scale of pay-outs on your “Bet” wager if your hand is better than the Dealer's or you lose bets if your hand is worse than the Dealer's.
8. There are options for you to stake extra money: exchange cards, buy an extra card, insure against the Dealer failing to qualify or buy the Dealer’s qualification.
9. This game has an unusual feature allowing you to be paid for two Poker combinations within one box. Both of them will be paid according to the sum of odds of both combinations.
How to Play
1. All players will have the same betting time each game round.
2. The Dealer shuffles the cards before dealing them.
3. To start, please select a chip from the chip tray and click on the “Ante” circle of the box(es) whenever you see the “Please place your bets” message on the progress bar.
4. On the middle (main) box you should place your “Ante” wager and if you wish to play in the left and/or right box(es), besides the “Ante”, a “Bet” wager will be placed automatically and will be exactly twice the “Ante” amount in that box.
5. Your bets can be placed, cleared or changed only during the betting time. No bets can be placed after the betting time is over and the Dealer has announced “No more bets”.
6. Your total bet amount will be displayed in "Current Bets".
7. The Dealer deals clockwise 5 cards in 3 players’ boxes and 5 cards in the Dealer’s hand in the following way:
- Cards in the main box should be all face up.
- On the side boxes you will play hands “blind”, therefore the cards are dealt face down.
- In the Dealer’s hand, the first four cards are to be face down and the last card is face up (up-card).
8. If you have placed an “Ante” wager in a middle box, the “Please choose your option” message will appear on the progress bar and you will be offered to select one of the following options:
- The BET option is usually selected if at least some combination is already dealt in your hand. Your “Bet” wager will be placed after you have selected this option and will be exactly twice the amount of the “Ante” for that box.
- The 6th CARD can be bought for the price of one “Ante”and then the first card dealt from switch cards (please read part 3. “Switch cards”) will be added to your hand.
- EXCHANGE any of the 5 cards in a middle box for the price of one “Ante”. Please select the card(s) you wish to change by clicking on them and then click on the Exchange button. The selected cards will be evidenced and their virtual equivalents will be turned face down. The discarded cards will be replaced with switch cards, which are dealt after the options time is finished (please read part 3. “Switch cards”).
- FOLD the box if you are not happy with your hand. Therefore, you lose your “Ante” and do not participate in the current round of the game any more in the main box.
9. Please note! If you do not select any option during Options Time, you will be offered only the “BET” or “FOLD” options during “Final Options Time”.
10. If your selected option is “6th CARD” or “EXCHANGE”, you will be offered the time to choose one of the final options after the switch cards are dealt:
- If you are happy with your new hand, you can continue playing and place a “Bet” by clicking on the BET option.
- If you select the INSURANCE option (please see part 5. Insurance), your “Bet” wager will be placed automatically.
- If you are not happy with your hand, you may select FOLD, therefore your original “Ante” and the payment for any option will be lost.
- Please note! If, for some reason, you do not select any option during the Final Options Time, we will apply the best practice of playing Russian Poker and the following will happen to your bets:
- If there is any combination on your hand (Ace-King or better), the BET option is selected automatically after the Options Time finishes.
- If there is no combination on your hand, the FOLD option is selected automatically.
11. After the final decision is made in the main box, the Dealer opens the cards in the “blind” boxes. Afterwards, the cards in the Dealer’s hand are opened too and the game proceeds in one of the following ways:
- if there is an Ace-King or better in the Dealer’s hand, the combinations in each of the three boxes are compared to the one in the Dealer’s box. The game is finished; your win is calculated and shown in the “Last Win” field.
- if the Dealer’s hand is not qualified, the additional time starts with the aim of buying the Dealer’s qualification (please see part 6. “Buying Dealer Qualification”).
Switch Cards
1. As soon as the Options Time is finished, the Dealer deals 5 switch cards.
2. You will see your new hand on virtual cards under the box according to your choices and the cards dealt.
3. The quantity of the opened switch cards on your screen depends on how many cards you have selected to exchange: the 1st switch card will be used to replace one card; the 1st and 2nd switch cards will be used to replace two cards, and so on.
4. Only the first switch card will be opened if you have chosen to buy the 6th card.
5. After the switch cards are dealt, the Final Options Time starts.
Insurance
1. If your hand is a Three-of-a-Kind or better, you may insure your hand against the Dealer failing to qualify.
2. You can insure for a varying amount: the minimum equals to the “Ante” and the maximum is half the expected payment at the rate of the current combination* (even the total for several combinations) but does not exceed the Maximum Table Pay-out (indicated in the “Table Limits” window).
3. The Winning Insurance bet is paid 1:1 if, after the showdown, the Dealer is "Not Qualified".
4. When the Insurance option is selected, the “Bet” wager is placed automatically according to the “Ante” amount in the box.
5. The Insurance is lost if the Dealer has qualified.
6. If the Dealer qualifies with a combination higher than you have insured, the Insurance wager is returned to your balance as a bonus, and your “Ante” and “Bet” are lost.
*For example, if you place an “Ante” of $10 and a “Bet” of $20 and you have a Flush, the potential pay-out is 5x20=$100 (Flush pays 5:1) and you can therefore buy any amount of insurance from 10$ up to $50.
Playing "Blind"
1. If you wish to play in more than one box, you must play the first and third boxes “blind”. When playing in a “blind” box, there is no option to buy, exchange, fold cards or buy Insurance as your“Bet” wager is already placed.
2. The only option to buy Dealer’s qualification may be available in “blind” boxes if your hand is qualified.
3. When playing only in “blind” boxes,you will be asked to wait while the players playing in the middle box make their decisions.
4. The cards in “blind” boxes are opened only after the decisions have been made for the main box. Afterwards, each box is compared to the Dealer’s hand.
Buying Dealer Qualification
1. If the Dealer hand is not qualified, the additional time is offered to buy the Dealer qualification in the boxes you wish (main or “blind”) for a price of one “Ante”.
2. This option is available only for the qualified boxes.
3. If your combination in the main box was insured, you may also buy the Dealer qualification hoping that the Dealer gets some Poker combination. If so, you may win with your “Bet” wager on the odds depending on your combination!
4. If the Dealer is not qualified, in the boxes, where the Dealer qualification was not bought, the “Ante” wager wins at odds of 1:1 and the “Bet” wager is returned to your balance. Such boxes do not participate in the current game round any more.
5. After the time for buying the Dealer`s qualification is over, the Dealer places the highest card of his/her hand face down on the verified box next to it, draws a new card and places it on the vacant place. At this point, the game is finished with no other options.
Bonus Bets
1. On the boxes where an “Ante” wager was placed, “B” (Bonus bet on your hand) and “D” (Bonus bet on the Dealer’s hand) can also be placed during the betting time before any cards are dealt.
2. Right after all the cards are dealt, the Bonus “B” is calculated in the Middle box according to the Bonus Pay Table below if your combination corresponds to the one mentioned in the Bonus Pay-Table (below).
3. Bonus bets on “blind” boxes are calculated only when the cards in these boxes are opened.
4. Bonus bets can be placed in every new round.
5. Bonus “B” depends neither on the Dealer qualification, nor on your win in the box.
6. Bonus “D” does not depend on your win in the box.
7. If you have a double combination in the box and both combinations are in the Bonus Pay-Table, only the higher one is paid.
8. If you have a double combination and only one is a Bonus combination, it is paid according to the Bonus Pay-Table.
9. Bonus bet “B” loses if:
- There is no bonus combination in the wagered box.
- A combination equal to the bonus combination was made after the cards were exchanged or the 6th card was bought.
10. Bonus bet “D” loses if:
- There is no bonus combination in the Dealer hand.
- The Dealer buys qualification.
| Combination | Player/Dealer Bonus Pay-out |
|---|---|
| 1000:1 | |
| Straight Flush | 500:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 100:1 |
| Full House | 75:1 |
| Flush | 50:1 |
| Straight | 40:1 |
| 7+7+7 | 20:1 |
| 7+7+ Any Pair | 5:1 |
| Ace-King | 1:1 |
Maximum Payout
1. Max table pay-out means the maximum possible pay-out you can receive in one box in one game round.
2. Max box pay-out cannot exceed Max Table Pay-out.
3. Total pay-out for two Poker combinations cannot exceed maximum table pay-out.
4. Max table pay-out does not contain Insurance pay-out.
5. Max table pay-out does not contain Bonus pay-out.
Final Result
1. “Ante” wagers and any payments for options are lost for the box that has folded, and there are no further options for the folded box.
2. For the boxes where you have placed a “Bet” (Bet option), the result depends on whether the Dealer is qualified or not, and if so, whether your hand is better or worse than the Dealer's.
3. If the Dealer qualifies:
4. The insurance wager is lost except cases described in point 5.6. of these game rules.
5. The “D” bonus will be paid according to points 7.1. and 7.10. of the these game rules.
6. Your box wins with a higher Poker combination or the same combination value as the Dealer hand but higher kickers: your “Ante” is pushed and the “Bet” is paid out according to the pay table.
7. If you have two Poker combinations in your hand and at least one of them is higher than the one in the Dealer's hand, the win of your “Bet” wager is calculated according to the sum of pay-outs on both combinations even if a combination is lower than the one in the Dealer’s hand.
8. Tie. Your combination and kickers equal to the Dealer combination and kickers (your “Ante” and “Bet” are returned to your balance).
9. Higher Poker combination or same combination value but higher kickers in the Dealer hand –you lose all the money invested in the game round.
Examples:
The Dealer has 
, your hand is 
You are paid for the Full House + Ace-King, even though the Ace-King hand is worse than Dealer's 777.
The Dealer has , 
.
Your Two Pair + Two Pair loses to the Dealer's three of a kind even though two pair + two pair (4:1) has a higher payout than three of a kind (3:1).
The Dealer has 
This a tie: your best 5-card hand is equal to the Dealer's best 5-card hand. The sixth card does not help you to win with two Straight combinations.
- If the Dealer Hand is Not Qualified:
- Bonus bet “D” is lost according to point 7.10. of the present document.
- Without buying INSURANCE – you are paid your “Ante” 1:1 and “Bet” stake is returned.
- If with buying INSURANCE - you win with Insurance wager on the odds 1:1 (“Ante” and “Bet” wagers are returned to you).
- If you select not to buy the Dealer qualification, you are paid your “Ante” 1:1 and the “Bet” is returned to your balance.
- If the Dealer gets a qualified hand after buying the qualification, the new Dealer hand will be used to compare the boxes where you have bought a Dealer qualification.
- If you have bought the Dealer qualification, but the Dealer hand is still not qualified, you lose your payment for buying a qualification and your “Ante” and “Bet” wagers are simply pushed.
Winning Combinations And Pay-Outs
1. Russian Poker is based on classic Poker combinations with the lowest hand being an Ace-King and the highest being a Royal Flush.
2. Card suits have no seniority, i.e. they are all of the same level.
3. Below are the Russian Poker hands ranking from the highest to lowest:
Double Winning Combinations
1. If you have six cards in your hand, any set of five cards can be used to make a hand.
2. If you can make two “different” hands from your five or six cards, both are paid in case at least one of them is higher than in the Dealer’s hand.
3. The term “different” means that there must be at least one card in each 2-card, 3-card, 4-card or 5-card combination, which is not used in the other combination.
4. Kickers are ignored for this purpose.
5. Two combinations are possible in a 5-card hand and more than two combinations in a single hand will not be paid.
6. Double winning combinations are not considered in the Dealer’s hand.
7. The possible cases of the two combinations and their pay-outs are as follows:
General Rules
1. All bets in Russian Poker are made by placing gaming chips on the appropriate areas on the Russian Poker table.
2. Wagers can be placed during the betting time until the Dealer announces "No more bets". Any bets received by our server after that are void (win or lose) and the stake(s) are returned to your balance.
3. You are personally responsible for the correct positioning of your wager or wagers on the Russian Poker table.
4. Minimum and maximum wagers permitted are shown on the screen of the game in the “TABLE LIMITS” window.
5. A bet may be rejected by our server if the Internet connection is slow or if it does not meet the minimum or maximum requirements.
6. If the game round must be cancelled because of the Dealer or a mistake or some technical issues, all your bets are refunded automatically.
7. If the game round was cancelled, the payment for the bonus combination in your box will not be paid and your initial bet on the Bonus combination will be returned to your balance.
8. If even one hidden card becomes visible to the players, the game round must be cancelled.
9. If the game was over with a wrong result, all your wagers will be refunded for the current hand.
10. If a card falls on the floor during the shuffle, the current card deck should be changed and verified in front of the camera.
11. If any card falls on the floor during the game, the game round should be cancelled and the current card deck should be changed and verified in front of the camera.
12. If the Dealer has made ?? a wrong shuffle, he/she must re-shuffle the cards again.
13. If the Dealer deals an extra card(s) not needed for the game (e.g. two cards come out of the shoe), this card shall be “burned”.
14. If the Internet connection is lost after your bets have been accepted, the outcome of the Game Round will determine your winning bets and the total win amount will be automatically transferred to your Casino balance.
15. You may view the game without being signed in for 15 minutes. After this time runs out, you need to sign in to play; otherwise, you cannot view the Live Casino games.
16. If you notice any irregularities, please provide the number of the game round in your question to the Customer Support.
Screen Elements
1. The table name shows you the table currently you are playing on.
2. The Live Casino Lobby button, next to the table name, can be selected any time from any Live Casino game. It allows you to easily change the table or select any other Live Casino game. If you choose the table from the list and click on it, that table will be opened and replace the currently opened one.
3. The Chat Room window allows you to chat with the Dealer and other players at the same table.
3.1 You must be signed in to be able to use the Chat Room. Your nickname will be displayed in yellow.
3.2. You can hide other players’ chats or the Chat Window completely by selecting the desired feature in the Settings Window. It can be found by clicking on the Settings button. 
3.3 Please respect the Chat Room rules. Even one violation may lead to a deactivation of your chat privileges.
4. The Progress Bar gives info about the game and the status of your bets. After the betting time is over, you will receive the “Your bets are accepted” message above the progress bar, indicating that your bets have been accepted or “Bets were not accepted” if they have been rejected.
5. Please select the chip value you wish to bet from the Chip Tray. The selected chip will be raised. Then click over the betting area on the table. You may scroll left/right to choose other available chips. There are 10 different chip values in total. You may play only with chip amounts that fit your current balance. Chips of a higher value will not be available.
6. The User Info window contains the main info about your account. If your nickname and balance are shown, it means that you are signed in and may enjoy the game.
7. The “Game Round” shows the number of the current game round. This number must be provided to the Customer Support if you have any questions during the play.
8. The “Current Bets” displays your total amount of bets on the table in the current Game round.
9. The “Last Win” shows the amount of your win in the previous Game round.
10. The “Balance” shows your available funds. To participate in the game, your balance must be sufficient to cover your bets. This number increases and decreases depending on the results of your actions.
11. The Cashier button will open a window where you can transfer, deposit or withdraw money from your account. Your Account History is also available in this section.
12. If you are not signed into the Casino, a Sign In button will appear to allow you to easily sign in to your account directly from the game window. The Sign in button will not be available in the separate pop-up view.
12.1. When you click on Sign In, a window will appear where you can enter your sign in information. If you do not have an account in our Casino, you may create one by clicking on the Register.
13. The Table Limits section shows the minimum and maximum stakes allowed at the table. When clicking on the button, all table limits are shown in the Table Limits Board (below).
14. The Table Limits Board contains a detailed explanation of table limits and Max. Table Pay-Out.
15. Pay-outs section shows Hand and Bonus pay-outs at the Current Russian Poker table. When clicking on the button, a Pay-outs board will be shown (below).
16. The Table Pay-outs board contains two sections, namely:
Hand Pay-outs with a detailed explanation about the combinations and their odds on the winning hand.
Bonus Pay-outs showing possible bonus combinations on your hand or the Dealer hand and their odds.
17. There are three boxes in the Russian Poker table layout. The 1st box next to the cards shoe is “blind”; the 2nd box, i.e. the main box, is played with opened cards and several options are offered during the game; the 3rd box to the Dealer’s right is also “blind”.
18. Each player’s box consists of the following elements:
Cards area – the space where the 5 cards in the box are dealt.
Betting areas:
Ante- initial stake
Bet – is twice the “Ante” and is placed when you are ready to call the Dealer hand.
B - Bonus bet for your hand
D - Bonus bet for Dealer’s hand
All your wagers for selected options (Buy, Exchange on the main box; Insurance or Buying Dealer qualification on any of the three boxes will be shown next to the “Ante” field with a corresponding icon of the selected option).
The virtual cards under the box will show you the card after the initial deal and then, in case of a card exchange, the new hand will be shown.
19. The virtual cards of the Dealer hand will show the cards and the combination in the Dealer box, that is, the hand you are competing against.
20. If you play in the main box, after the initial cards are dealt, you will have to choose one of the following options:
The BET option is usually selected if at least some combination is already dealt in your hand. Your Bet wager will be placed after you have selected this option.
The 6th CARD can be bought for the price of one “Ante” in your hand.
EXCHANGE any of 5 cards on a middle box for the price of one “Ante”.
FOLD the box if you are not happy with your hand. However, you lose your “Ante”.
The time remaining for you to make a decision will be indicated in the Progress Bar. If you do not select any option during the defined time, you will have a chance to select only between BET or FOLD in the next betting round.
21. The Re-bet buttonis active only during the betting time andallows you to place the same bets as in the previous round. The button will not be active if no other bets were placed in the previous game round. TheRe-betbutton, once clicked on, will change to a Double button.
22. The Re-bet button is active only during the betting time andallows you to place the same bets as in the previous round. The button will not be active if no other bets were placed in the previous game round. The Re-bet button, once clicked on, will change to a Double button.
23. By repeatedly clicking on the Undo button, you can remove bets one by one contrary to the order they were placed in. This will only work during the betting time.
24. The name of the Dealer operating at your table is indicated in theDealersection. To give a Tip to the Dealer, please click on the Tips icon, select the desired tip amount and click on the Send button.
25. Click on the Clear button to clear the table. This is active only if bets have been placed on the table and can be used only during the betting time.
26. Re-bet/Re-bet-All, Double/Double All, Undo and Clear/Clear All options are available only during the betting time. Once bets are closed, then you cannot change or clear your bets.
27. By clicking on the Screenshot button, you will be offered to save the image on your PC showing your gaming window at the moment of the click. Special moments can be shared with your friends or any disputable situation can be indicated to your Customer Support when needed.
28. The History button launches a window from the website showing all the live games you have played and the results of those games. The most recent round appears at the top of the list.
29. The Volume button will open the slide control, which lets you change the sound volume at the opened table. If you change the table, the volume will change to default.
30. The Game Info button opens a pop-up window with game rules and this help article are reading right now.
31. The Settings button launches a menu of user’s changeable settings including:
- Sound Effects (Dealer voice on/off, Sound in background On/Off, sound effects On/Off);
- Video quality (Auto, Low, Medium and High);
- Chat room (On/Off)
- Other players chat (On/Off);
- Bonus bets (On/Off).
32. Click on the Full Screen button to view the game in a full-screen mode.
33. To exit the Full Screen mode, you can click the Exit Full Screen button or press ESC on your keyboard.
Player Tips
First Options Betting round Time — Bet, Fold, Buy, or Exchange.
Any Straight or Flush — buy the 6th card
Four of a Kind — bet
Full House — buy the 6th card if the DealerdealerDealer's up- card differs from your cards; bet if DealerdealerDealer's up- card is the same as any of your cards
Three of a Kind — exchange two cards if the DealerdealerDealer's up- card is different from your Trips. Bet if the DealerdealerDealer's up- card is the same as your Trips
Two Pairs — bet
One pair — buy the 6th card with any Straight or Flush draw; play if your Pair is greater than or equal to the DealerdealerDealer's up card. Exchange 3 cards if your Pair is less than the DealerdealerDealer's up- card
ng — buy the 6th card outsght, Flush or inside 6-card Straight draw. Exchange three cards without any of the above
Nothing — play as follows:the 6th card with outsicision as follows:
A-A-Q or better — bet.
All other — fold.
Russian Poker Terms
Ace-King – the lowest hand combination in Russian Poker game.
Ante – the initial wager placed on a box to participate in the game before the cards are dealt.
Bet – is a wager placed in case you wish to play with your hand that must be exactly twice the amount of the ”Ante” for that box.
Burning card – discarding of the card not needed for the game.
Buy Dealer qualification – this option is offered in case the Dealer is “Not qualified”. The additional betting round will be available to buy the Dealer qualification.
Buy 6th Card – an option allowing you to buy the 6th card for your hand in the main box for a price of one Ante.
Cancel game - is a procedure used to refund the players’ wagers invested in a misdealt game. The game must be cancelled in the following cases:
- The hidden card has been shown to the players
- Wrong card reading on initial deal (The card reading doesn’t match the card on the table or the card does not appear after a re-scan was made)
- The Dealer has dealt extra cards not needed for the game in the initial deal or in the extra cards.
- The Dealer has cleared the table before the game is over
- Any card has fallen to the floor during the game. In addition, the card deck should be changed and verified in front of the players.
- Any technical or Internet issues that impede the completion of the game round with a correct result.
Cutting Card – is a colored faceless plastic card used to cut the cards after the shuffle.
Dealer Bonus (D) – a side bet that can be placed during the pre-deal betting round on the box where the Ante wager is placed. The Dealer bonus wins in case there is a bonus combination on the Dealer hand after show up.
Dealing shoe – means a device from which cards are dealt.
Exchange – an option, which allows to exchange cards (up to 5) on a middle box for a price of one Ante in the box.
Flush – a poker hand consisting of any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.
Fold – to forfeit any chance of winning on the main box and losing whatever you have bet so far. You only fold when you think your hand is too weak to compete against the Dealer.
Four of a Kind - a poker hand consisting of four cards of the same rank. Four of a Kind is only beat by a Straight Flush or Royal Flush.
Full House – a five-card poker hand with three of a kind and one pair.
Insurance – You may insure your hand with a Three of a Kind or better against the Dealer is “Not Qualified”. The insurance bet will always lose if the Dealer qualifies. The minimum insurance bet is 1 x Ante and the maximum is half the possible win amount. Insurance pays 1:1.
Kicker – is a card in a poker hand which does not itself take part in the determination of the rank of the hand, but which is used to break ties between hands of the same rank.
Live Dealer – means a person appointed at the gambling table to conduct and control the game, communicate with players, distribute and shuffle the cards.
Not qualified – the situation when the cards in the box do not form any Poker combination.
One Pair – a poker hand consisting of two cards of the same rank.
Player Bonus (B) – a side bet that can be placed during the pre-deal betting round and after the “Ante” wager is placed on the same box. The player bonus wins if there is a bonus combination on the wagered box after the initial deal.
Re-scan – is a procedure made by the Dealer and used in case any a card dealt on the table was not scanned correctly.
Royal Flush – A, K, Q, J 10 of the same suit, the best possible hand in Russian poker.
“Shuffle” – is a procedure made by the Dealer used to randomize playing cards in the deck to provide an element of chance in the game.
Showdown – a situation after the final options betting when the cards on “blind” boxes and Dealer hand are opened.
Straight - a poker hand consisting of 5 cards in sequence but not in the same suit.
Straight Flush - a poker hand consisting of any 5 cards sequence and the same suit.
Three of a Kind - a poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank.
Tie – your combination and kickers are equal to the Dealer’s combination and kickers (your Ante and Bet are returned to your balance).
Two Pairs – a poker hand consisting of two separate pairs, plus any card not of either rank.
A fun game, professional Dealers and the best software online.
We know you are going to have a great time!
Good Luck!
