In the early days of poker, there were many fewer games. The only games that were played were five card stud and five card draw. Today, these two games probably represent the spectrum of most transparent to least transparent card games. In five card draw, you don’t get to see any of your opponent’s cards, whereas in five card stud, you see almost all of them.

Five Card Stud

In order to overcome this problem, players developed a variation called Soko, also known as Canadian stud. For the most part, the rules are the same as in five card stud: Players put up an ante and get one card down and one card up. The lowest card showing is forced to make a small bet called a bring-in, subsequent players going clockwise may fold, complete the bring in to a full bet (or raise if it has already been completed), or call. Three more cards are dealt out face up, with a betting round in between each. After each player has been dealt five cards and made final bets, there is a showdown and the best hand wins the pot.

Five Card Stud Variant – Soko

The distinction that makes Soko interesting is in the rank of hands. In Soko, there are two additional hands. The four card straight (or Canadian straight) and the four card flush (Canadian flush). These hands fit in between one pair and two pair. This makes determining what an opponent has a little more challenging.

How Soko Makes Five Card Stud Better

In normal five card stud, if you hold (As) Ac 4d 6s and your opponent holds (X) 3h 5h Jh, you know that if your opponent doesn’t catch an ace, pair one of his up cards, or catch a heart on the fifth card, you are a lock to win. However, in Soko, your opponent may already have a four flush, meaning if you don’t pair one of your upcards on the final card, you may lose. Since a pair is commonly sufficient to win in regular five card stud, the additional Soko hands increase the complexity of the game significantly.

If you’ve tried hold’em, Omaha and seven card stud and are looking for a new poker variation to try with your friends, you might want to consider Soko. Soko is probably unlike any poker game you have ever played before.

Structure of Soko

Soko is a variation of five card stud, and play opens as follows. Each player antes a pre-determined amount and receives one hole card and one card face up. The player with the lowest up card must bet another pre-determined amount called a bring-in. The bring-in is less than the standard bet, but equal to or greater than the ante. Working clockwise, opponents may call the bring-in, complete to a full bet or fold. If the bet has already been completed, by the bring-in or another player, subsequent players may raise.

Play of a Soko Hand

A third card is then dealt to all remaining players, also face up. If a pair is exposed, players can make the standard bet or a double bet here. The highest hand showing checks or bets and play proceeds clockwise from there. A fourth card is now dealt face up and now all bets must be double the standard bet. Finally, a fifth card is dealt face up. There is another round of betting and players who have not folded turn over their down card to see who takes the pot.

Soko Hand Rankings

Unlike traditional five card stud, four card straights and four card flushes play. This means the order of hands from strongest to weakest are: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, four flush, four straight, pair, high card.