Polish Red Dog

This game is also known as Stitch and Polish Pachuk.

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

Two to ten players.

As normal, with Ace high. The suits are not ranked.

Players aim to hold a card in the same suit, but of a higher rank, than the banker's card.

Dealer is by deal: first Ace to appear.

Standard.

Bank

The banker places in the centre of the table the amount he wishes to put at risk. A minimum is usually agreed before the game.

Deal

The banker deals three cards face down to each player except himself, one card at a time.

Players bet without looking at their cards. Play begins with the player to the banker's left. He places his bet in front of him; this may be any amount up to half the total of the bank.

The banker then burns the top card of the pack, i.e., he turns it face up, shows it to all players, and places it face up at the bottom of the pack. He then turns up the next card, and this becomes the banker's card.

The first player then turns his own cards face up. If he holds a higher ranking card of the same suit as the banker's card, he wins; if not, he loses.

If he has won, he receives back his bet and twice that amount from the bank.

If he has lost, his bet is added to the bank.

His cards are then placed face up at the bottom of the pack.

Bet and play then pass one player to the left. After the player has bet, the banker burns one card before exposing a new banker's card.

If the bank is emptied at any time, the bank and deal immediately pass one player to the left, and a new round is begun.

If the bank is not emptied at the end of a round, the same banker continues to deal.

If, at the end of any round, the bank has increased to three or more times the size it was when the present banker began, then the banker declares a stitch round. He deals one more round, and, at the end of this, collects anything left in the bank. Bank and deal then pass one player to the left.

A player must continue to act as banker until the bank is emptied, or a stitch round has been completed.

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