Dealer side
The dealer plus the spade-five holder. If the dealer owns the black five, the dealer is alone.
Complete rule guide
Black Five Poker rules: reveal identity, then race for finish slots.
Black Five Poker uses one 52-card deck and is usually played with five seats. The dealer and the spade-five holder form one side, while the other players form the idle side. If the first two finishers are on the same side, that side wins immediately. If they are split, the third finisher decides the winner.
♠5
- One 52-card deck, no jokers.
- Five seats by default. Dealer and next seat receive 11 cards; others receive 10.
- The dealer leads the first play, then turns move by seat order.
- The spade five is the identity card and belongs to the dealer side.
Idle side
Every player outside the dealer side. This side usually needs two finish slots.
deal
Deal and opening
The current online version is a five-seat table; bots fill empty seats.
- All 52 cards are dealt.
- The dealer and next seat receive 11 cards each; the other three seats receive 10.
- The system chooses the dealer, and the dealer leads the first play.
turn
Playing, beating, and passing
When leading, play any valid pattern. When following, play a valid pattern that beats the table.
- Singles, pairs, straights, and sister pairs only beat the same pattern and same length.
- Triple bombs beat singles, pairs, straights, and sister pairs; Hong, a four-of-a-kind bomb, beats any non-Hong pattern.
- If you cannot or do not want to beat the table, choose Pass.
- When every active player passes, the trick ends. The top player leads again; if that player has finished, the next unfinished player leads.
black-five
Revealing the black five
The spade five identifies the dealer side's hidden partner.
- The black-five holder may reveal as long as the black five has not been played.
- Revealing does not consume the current turn or change the table cards.
- If the black five is played as part of a hand, the game treats it as revealed.
finish
Follow-finish and winning
The point of Black Five Poker is not only who finishes first, but which side secures enough finish slots.
- If the first two finishers are on the same side, that side wins immediately.
- If the first two finishers are split, the hand continues until a third player finishes.
- The third finisher's side wins by securing the second finish slot.
- If the dealer holds the black five, the dealer side has one player and wins when the dealer finishes first.
variants
Local variants not included yet
Some regions add multipliers, six-player double black five, or detailed scoring. This online version starts with the core playable hand.
- No reveal multiplier or doubling yet.
- No six-player double-black-five mode yet.
- No dealer streak, blocked-player, or advanced scoring variants yet.
Rank order
Singles, pairs, and bombs compare in this order:
532AKQJ1098764
Straights and sister pairs use A-2-3-4-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K. Five is excluded from sequences.
♠5
Single
Any one card.
Q Q
Pair
Two cards of the same rank.
A 2 3
Straight
Three or more consecutive ranks; five is excluded.
A A 2 2
Sister pairs
Two or more consecutive pairs.
7 7 7
Triple bomb
Three of a kind; beats normal patterns.
K K K K
Hong
Four of a kind; called Hong at the table and beats any non-Hong pattern.
FAQ
Rules FAQ
Is A-2-3 a straight?
Yes. This version treats A-2-3 as the lowest straight and also supports 4-6-7 as a special straight.
Is A-2-3-5 a straight?
No. Five is excluded from straights and sister pairs, so sequences containing five do not count.
Can a five answer another five?
Yes. This table allows the highest five to answer another five with the same pattern and length.
Can the black-five holder win without revealing?
Yes. The identity may stay hidden, but playing the black five reveals it automatically.