How to Play Piranha

Piranha is a match pot game which means players will be forced to match the value of the pot should they lose their hand. These games can become very expensive, very quickly which is why we always suggest players set a max limit as to how much a player should be forced to contribute. Piranha can be played with as many as 11 players and there are no wild cards used for this game.

This game is similar to Omaha since you get four hole cards and five community cards. The biggest difference is your not required to use only two from your hand and three on the board to make your best hand. If you need one card from the community cards or one card from your hand your able to. This is also why you’ll find more players stay in the hand longer because of the opportunity to complete their hand with only one card.

Instructions & Rules for Piranha

Each player is required to ante into the game first if they intend to play. Once the antes are in the pot the dealer will begin to deal each player four cards face down followed by placing three cards face up and two face down. These extra cards are the community cards and should be placed in the middle of the table.

Once the deal is finished players will be given the option to decide if they are in or out. To do so we’ll use the same rules as dropping, whereby players who are in will place a chip in their hand, and players who are out will have an empty hand. When instructed, players will open their hands simultaneously and anyone who dropped will play against each other.

Once this is done, the dealer can flip over the remaining two cards. Players who dropped will use any of the cards in their hand or on the board to make the best five card poker hand possible. The player with the highest hand wins and will win the pot. The players who lose the hand will have to pay an amount equal to the pot value which will be used for the next hand.

The game will continue until one player drops and scoops the pot uncontested.

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