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SophiesPick originals

Sophie's Pick poker rules

6 Cards / Build 3 Pairs / Make Your Pick

Hole cards
6
Board
1 community board
Betting
Pot-Limit
Players
2-7 players
Pot
High hand
Family
SophiesPick originals

What is Sophie's Pick?

Sophie's Pick is the SophiesPick original: you receive six private cards, arrange them into three two-card pairs and lock them before the first bet.

After the flop you sacrifice one whole pair and after the turn you sacrifice another. Use any combination of your surviving hole cards and the community cards to make your best five-card hand: both hole cards, one hole card, or play the board.

The locked pairs and two sacrifices add decisions to Hold'em-style hand selection. Pot-Limit, 2-7 players.

Objective

Build three pairs and make two choices that determine your final pair.

How to play

  1. Receive 6 private cards. Arrange all six into THREE custom two-card pairs and LOCK PAIRS.
  2. Preflop betting, then deal the flop.
  3. FIRST SOPHIE PICK: sacrifice ONE complete pair, then flop betting.
  4. Deal the turn. FINAL SOPHIE PICK: sacrifice ONE remaining pair, then turn betting.
  5. Deal the river, then river betting and showdown.

Special rules

Once locked, pairs cannot be rearranged. Sacrificed pairs are permanently dead. Only cards from the final surviving pair remain eligible at showdown.

Showdown

Make the best five-card hand using 0, 1, or 2 hole cards and the community board.

Hand rankings in Sophie's Pick

High Hand

  1. Royal Flush
  2. Straight Flush
  3. Four of a Kind
  4. Full House
  5. Flush
  6. Straight
  7. Three of a Kind
  8. Two Pair
  9. One Pair
  10. High Card

Royal Flush is the highest possible Ace-high Straight Flush.

Common mistakes

  • Trying to rearrange pairs after locking them: once locked, pairs cannot be changed.
  • Expecting a sacrificed pair to come back: sacrificed pairs are permanently dead.
  • Assuming both surviving hole cards must play: you may use both, one, or neither when the board is your best hand.
  • Forgetting that only the final surviving pair plays; the other four cards never count.
  • Double Sophie

    Double Sophie deals the same six cards and the same two picks, but across two community boards, with the pot split between them.

See how Sophie's Pick lines up against every other game in the poker variants comparison table.

Sophie's Pick FAQ

How many cards do you get in Sophie's Pick?

Six private cards, arranged into three two-card pairs that you lock before preflop betting.

When do you make the two picks?

The first Sophie Pick comes after the flop is dealt and before flop betting; the final Sophie Pick comes after the turn is dealt and before turn betting.

How is the winner decided?

Make the best five-card high hand from your surviving pair and the community board. Use both hole cards, one hole card, or play the board. Sacrificed cards cannot contribute.

What betting structure does Sophie's Pick use?

Pot-Limit, for 2 to 7 players, in cash or single-table tournament format.