These are Poker variants in which players use cards dealt to the centre of the table as part of their own hands.

There are many versions of this. Basically, each player receives four cards. The next card is dealt to the centre of the table. The game proceeds as usual, but at showdown each active player must count this table card as the fifth card in his hand.

As Spit in the Ocean, but the face-up card and all the others of the same denomination are wild (or sometimes only cards of the same denomination as the face-up card, but not the face-up card itself).

Each player receives four cards. Five cards are then dealt face down to the centre of the table in the shape of a cross.

Players examine their hands.

The dealer then turns up any one of the table cards, except the one at the centre of the cross. A betting interval follows.

Exposure of the cards in the cross alternates with betting intervals, until all but the central card of the cross have been exposed.

After the fourth betting interval, the centre card is exposed; Showdown follows immediately.

The centre card of the cross is wild, as are all other cards of the same denomination.

Each player selects mentally his final five-card hand from any cards in his hand and the table cards. (Sometimes he is allowed to choose only table cards from any three that form a straight line in the cross.)

Five cards are dealt to each player, and the next five cards are dealt face down to the centre of the table.

The game is the same as Criss-Cross (above), but without the cross pattern. None of the table cards is wild. A player may use any of the table cards in his final hand. More

This is played like Cincinnatti (above), but the lowest-ranking table card is wild, as are all the other cards of that denomination. More

Each player receives four cards. Three face-down cards are dealt to the table, one each after the second, third and fourth dealing rounds.

There is then a betting interval. A player may open on any hand. There is no checking.

In the draw, each player may change up to four cards.

After the draw, the dealer turns up the table cards one at a time, with a betting interval as each card is turned up.

At the showdown, a player uses any one of the table cards as his fifth card. None of the table cards is wild.

In Procter and Gamble, three communal cards are dealt face down. They are then rolled (faced) one at a time, with a betting interval after each. This has developed into the currently popular Hold 'em, in which the first three communal cards are dealt together, cutting out two betting intervals. In Bedsprings the centre cards are arranged as shown, and rolled singly, with a betting interval after each. Each player may count any pair of vertically adjacent cards as part of his hand, and any five of those seven as his playing hand.

From 'The Official World Encyclopedia of Sports and Games'
© Diagram Visual Information Ltd 1979
and 'The Penguin Book of Card Games'
© David Parlett 1979