CHOOSE YOUR LINE
Iron Cross · Criss Cross.
Two lines cross. Your hand must follow one.
THE DEFINING TWIST
Five private cards plus a cross; shared cards used must lie in a single horizontal or vertical line.
Cross layout
Know the twist.
Enjoy the table.
Illustrative hand · explore the result in Read the Table
YOUR GUIDE TO THIS VERSION
Know your table.
The rules that matter.
- No wild centre card.
- High-only, five private cards, centre exposed last.
From first card to final reveal.
- Prepare. Use 52 cards, antes and agreed limits. High-only; no wilds.
This is the source’s five-private-card version.
- Deal and lay out. Deal five private each. Put five table cards face down in a cross.
Label outer cards top, right, bottom, left; centre stays last.
- First betting. Bet from first active seat after dealer.
There are six betting rounds if all remain.
- Top and right. Reveal top, bet; reveal right, bet.
Every betting round begins after dealer.
- Bottom and left. Reveal bottom, bet; reveal left, bet.
Do not expose the centre yet.
- Centre. Reveal the centre and complete final betting.
The horizontal line is left–centre–right; vertical is top–centre–bottom.
- Build five. Use at least two private cards; any used shared cards must all belong to one line.
You may use your private hand alone. Do not combine opposite lines.
- Showdown. Highest legal five-card hand wins; split equal hands.
Compare your best legal selection from each line before deciding.
Where these rules come from.
Established variation; this guide follows the linked rules and stated table conventions. Explanatory presentation and examples by Deal Different.
Pagat: Iron Cross · Criss Cross rules ↗Curated by Maanas Chopra · reviewed October 2026 · session times are estimates