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Multi-board and bomb pots

Squid poker rules

2 Cards / 3 Boards / Lowest River Eliminated

Hole cards
2
Board
3 community boards
Betting
Pot-Limit
Players
2-7 players
Pot
High hand
Family
Multi-board and bomb pots

What is Squid?

Squid is a SophiesPick multi-board variant: two private cards, three community boards dealt side by side, and a Hold'em showdown on each board that survives.

After the three rivers are dealt, the boards' river cards are compared by rank alone. The lowest river card eliminates its board before river betting; if several boards tie for lowest they are all eliminated, and if all three tie every board survives.

Each eligible pot is divided equally among the surviving boards. Pot-Limit, 2-7 players; the elimination twist is the whole game.

Starting cards

2 private cards. 3 community boards.

How to play

  1. Preflop betting.
  2. Deal three flops, then flop betting.
  3. Deal three turns, then turn betting.
  4. Deal three rivers and resolve board elimination.
  5. River betting on the surviving boards, then showdown.

Board elimination

Elimination resolves BEFORE river betting. Compare ONLY the three river card ranks; suits do not matter and Ace is high.

The lowest river board is eliminated: 2 / 8 / K eliminates the 2 board. All tied-lowest boards are eliminated: 2 / 2 / K leaves only K.

If all three tie (8 / 8 / 8), no board is eliminated: ALL BOARDS SURVIVE.

Showdown

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

Pot distribution

Each eligible pot is divided equally among surviving boards. Evaluate each board separately; a player can win multiple shares or tie.

Hand rankings in Squid

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

  • Counting on a board before the rivers are out: elimination is resolved after the third river and before river betting, so a board can disappear at the last moment.
  • Judging the elimination by suits or by the whole board: only the three river card ranks are compared, suits do not matter and the Ace is high.
  • Assuming exactly one board is always eliminated: all tied-lowest boards go, and when all three river ranks match no board is eliminated.
  • Combining cards from different boards: each surviving board is evaluated separately with Hold'em rules, and each pot is split equally among the survivors.
  • Hold'em Bomb Pot

    Hold'em Bomb Pot deals two boards that both always pay, with a bomb ante and no preflop betting; Squid deals three boards with normal preflop betting and eliminates the lowest river board.

See how Squid lines up against every other game in the poker variants comparison table.

Squid FAQ

How many boards are there in Squid poker?

Three. Three flops, three turns and three rivers are dealt, with betting after each street, and the lowest river board is eliminated before the final betting round.

How is a board eliminated?

Compare only the three river card ranks; suits do not matter and the Ace is high. The board with the lowest river card is eliminated. All tied-lowest boards are eliminated, and if all three rivers tie, every board survives.

How is the pot split?

Each eligible pot is divided equally among the surviving boards, each evaluated separately with Hold'em rules. A player can win several shares or tie on one board.

What betting structure and table size does Squid use?

Pot-Limit, for 2 to 7 players, as a single game or in a Mixed Games rotation.