Guts is an underrated card game that is closely related to Poker. While the game is overshadowed a lot these days, it would make a fine choice for any game night. Learn all about this fun card game with our in-depth game guide.
Guts makes a great game for down at the pub; check out these waterproof cards if you’re thinking of playing over drinks! Guts is also a pretty versatile game, and while it makes an excellent two-player card game, it’s much more fun with a larger group. So let’s take a quick look at how the game works.
What is the Guts Card Game?
Guts can be played with up to five people. All you need is a deck of cards; make sure you take the Joker cards from the deck first. And to start the deal, the deck is shuffled, and each player is dealt two cards.
The round then starts with each player making an ante. The player to the dealer’s left makes the first ante, which continues clockwise. The dealer will always be the last player to make their ante.
Players can drop out if they don’t think they’ll win simply by saying “out,” but they can’t win the pot once a player drops out. To stay in the game and try to win the pot, simply say “in.”
Once all players have declared the remaining players who are “in,” the game will turn over their cards. The highest hand wins the pot. We’ll discuss how the cards work in the rules section below.
What You’ll Need To Play?
To play Guts, all you need is a deck of cards. Any cards will do, but we recommend some waterproof playing cards if you’re thinking of playing down at the pub. Or you could try using plastic playing cards instead.
If you want to make the game extra special, why not try some more flashy or unusual playing cards? These Mythical Creatures playing cards would make a great choice. Once you’ve got your cards, you’ll need to know how to play, so check out the rules section below.
You can use Poker chips as well if you want. While they aren’t strictly necessary, they will make keeping track of bets easier and, in many ways, make the game more fun. If you are going to use Poker chips, try to use different colored ones like this set of multicolored chips.
Rules and Gameplay
The Aim of The Game
The Guts card game is a bit like simplified Poker. You don’t need to remember any of the more complex hand values; the value of your hand is based on two cards. Like many similar card games, Guts is best played over several rounds.
You can either play until a player wins a certain number of hands or keep playing until you get bored. If you are using Poker chips, you can play till someone wins them all. But before you play, check out all the rules you need to know below.
The Set-Up
To begin playing Guts, you need first to choose a dealer. The dealer doesn’t have advantages or disadvantages, but it will affect who goes first. If no one wants to be the dealer, then shuffle the deck and deal one card to each player.
The player with the highest value card will be the dealer. The dealer should shuffle the deck and deal two cards to each player. Once this is done, the game can begin!
The Card Values
Before we look at the rules, we’ll look at the card values. Cards follow the basic ranking from Two – Ace. Unlike Pontoon or the 21, Card Game ace cards are always high. We’ve listed the main values below.
- High pairs beat lower pairs.
- A pair of equal cards beats a pair of unequal cards.
- If two (or more) players have unequal pairs, the single highest card wins.
- If two players have the same cards, the pot is split between them.
Playing Guts
Playing Guts is pretty simple, making it an excellent game for short bursts. Once the dealer has been chosen, they must shuffle the deck and deal cards to each player. Cards should be dealt one at a time and face down.
The player to the dealer’s left will go first, with the game continuing in a clockwise motion; the dealer will be the last player to make their move. On your turn, you should look at your cards and decide whether to make an ante or forfeit the game on your turn.
Once every (remaining) player declares their intention to stay in the game, there are no more bets. Every player should then reveal their hands to each other, and the player with the highest value hand will win the game and take the pot!
Guts is best played over several rounds, especially when using Poker chips. However, you can also play it until one player wins several rounds. First, however, you decide to play the Guts card game; it is sure to be a good time.
Joker Cards
To add a new twist, you can use the Joker cards. If you decide to use these, they should act as wild cards do in Uno. This means they can take the form of any other card, making them very valuable.
Guts – A Fun, Fast-Paced Card Game
Guts is a great card game sure to keep you entertained! While it does have a slight learning curve, it’s pretty simple to play. So, if you’re getting a little bored of Poker or Texas Hold ’em, why not give Guts ago?
