Injun

This fast amusing game is very simple to play. But it can see a lot of money change hands very rapidly, and offers opportunities for skillful judgment to anyone familiar with mathematical odds.

a) One standard pack of 52 cards;
b) Betting chips or cash.

From two to about fifteen.

The cards rank in normal order, with Ace high. The suits are not ranked.

Players bet on holding a higher ranking card than any other player.

This is by deal: first Ace to appear.

Standard.

Before each deal, each player, including the dealer, puts an equal amount into the centre of the table to form a pool. This amount is known as the ante.

The dealer deals one card face down to each player, including himself, beginning with the player to his left, and going clockwise.

Players are not allowed to look at their own cards. Each picks up his own card, and puts it against his forehead.

He holds it there, face outwards, so that all the other players in the game can see the card.

Players should watch carefully at this stage of play, to check that no player glimpses his own card.

Betting begins with the player to the dealer's left, and goes clockwise.

Each player bets according to his judgment of whether his own card, which he cannot see, is likely to be higher in rank than all the other players' cards (which he can see).

A player must bet to stay in the game. If he drops out at anytime, he places his card face down on the table in front of him.

All bets are placed in the pool.

There are two alternatives: a) Poker betting; b) Brag betting.

In this alternative, each player in turn bets, calls, raises, or drops out, until the bets are equalised. When this happens, betting ends, and there is a showdown between all active players.

In this alternative, betting is as in the round the table system in Brag. Each player, in each of his turns, contributes 1 unit to the pool, or drops out.

No one can raise, and betting continues until all but two players have dropped out. These last two active players then continue to put bets of one unit each into the pool, until: a) one of them drops out, leaving the other player the winner; or b) one of them pays two units to see the other, and there is a showdown between these two players.

On showdown all active players look at their own cards.

The player with the highest card wins the play, and takes the pool.

Ties for highest card divide the pool.

If a player runs out of money during betting, he places his card face down on the pool — allowing all other players to remind themselves of its rank before he does so.

Subsequent bets of other players are then placed in a side pool.

Showdown is then between three players: between the last two active players for the side pool, and between these two and the player who covered the kitty for the main pool.

After the pool has been won, the deal passes one player to the left, and all players ante for the next play.

From 'The Official World Encyclopedia of Sports and Games'
© Diagram Visual Information Ltd 1979