Double Cross Poker

[Flock of Moosen]

I'm not sure how new a game this is, but I was recently in Atlantic City and this is the first time I saw these tables.

The game is called Double Cross Poker and it's pretty much 5 Card Stud with a twist. The players all ante up and then everyone (including the dealer) starts off with 2 cards face down. The dealer then deals 5 cards, three in a vertical line and then one on each side of the middle card. This gives it the cross look. Then, from the players viewpoint, the dealer flips the bottom and the left card. From there you all look at your pair and decide if you want to fold the hand or play. Catch is you can only play a hand in one direction (either up and down or left and right). After placing the additional bet, the dealer reveals their cards and makes the best hand they can. Only problem is the dealer can make a hand in any direction so basically your one directional hand has to tie or beat their best of two.

The dealer has the big advantage in this game, but the payout odds are high enough to make this an exciting game to try. I was doing well and even got a straight which paid out 4 to 1 odds, but then the bottom fell out.

If you are interested, check out this site. It explains in more detail about the game.
Double Cross Poker