• Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

• How is Bid'Em similar to Texas Hold'Em?

  Bid'Em has blinds and community cards—the flop, turn and river—the same as Hold'Em.

• Does the dealer burn a card before each pre-Bid round (flop, turn, river) as in regular Hold'em?

  Yes. The pre-Bid rounds are played the same as Texas Hold'em. The only difference is that the player's betting strategy during the early rounds may change because of the new Bid round of betting and possibility of a new card.

• A player who runs out of money mid-hand cannot replenish his chips until after the hand is over. Any additional betting that occurs after that player is out of money goes into a side pot. How is that handled in Bid'Em?

  It works the same way in Bid'Em, with one exception. The player who is out of money during an earlier betting round would not be able to participate in the Bid Auction (and therefore would not be able to control the Bid Card). However, that player would not be requiered to pay the fee if the Bid Winner announces he will change the card.

• Can Bid'Em be played in tournament style?

  Yes. But if you are playing a no-limit tournament, a player who goes "all-in" during an earlier betting round would not be able to participate in the Bid Auction (and therefore would not be able to control the Bid Card). However, that player would not be required to pay the fee if the Bid Winner announces he will change a card.

The Bid Auction

• What are the Bid increments and how is the Bid Winner determined?

  Typically, the Bid begins at the amount of the big blind and proceeds in equal increments until it reaches 10 times the amount of the table stakes (i.e., if you are playing at a $5-$10 table, the Bid Auction begins at $10—the big blind amount—and proceeds in $10 increments until it reaches $100).

• If the pre-Bid betting is a check all-around (i.e., no bets made on the flop, the turn or the river), is there still a Bid Auction?

  Yes. The Bid Auction occurs at the end of each hand and is not dependent on betting during the earlier rounds.

• What happens when 2 people bid the maximum amount?

  The dealer burns the next card and then deals out the next 2 cards. The highest card wins the bid and control of the board.

• What happens to the cards that are used during the "draw off" when two or more players "win" the Bid?

  They are burned and not used for the rest of the hand.

Play After the Bid

• What options are available to the Bid Winner?

  He can decide to replace any one of the community cards with a card from the top of the deck. Or, he can decide to leave the community cards intact.

• If the Bid Winner decides to change one of the community cards, what happens next?

  After the Bid Winner announces he is going to replace a card, but before he does so, all other players who have not folded have to pay a Bid Fee in order to stay in the hand.

• Does the Bid Winner decide which community card is replaced by the Bid Card, or is that a predetermined card?

  The Bid Winner has the choice of deciding which, if any, community card he will replace.

• So, after the Bid Winner declares he is going to replace a card, and before the other players pay the fee to see the new card, do the other players know which card will be changed?

  No. The other players must decide whether to continue playing and pay the Bid Fee before knowing which card will be replaced.

• After you say you are changing a card, can you change your mind?

  If you say you are changing a card, then you must follow up by changing a card.

• What is the amount of the Bid Fee?

  The Bid Fee is equal to the big blind table stakes.

• Is there a Bid Fee if the Bid Winner chooses to leave the community cards intact?

  No.

• When a Bid Winner declares he is going to change a card, is the Bid Fee added to the existing pot? If the fee is only $10.00, don't the pot odds suggest that no remaining player will fold?

  Both the winning Bid and any fees paid by remaining players at the end of the Auction are added to the existing pot. It is likely that the pot odds would favor the remaining players' decision to pay the Bid Fee, but it is a decision, like all betting decisions, to be made by the player depending on his evaluation of his hand.

• If the Bid Winner declares he is going to change a card, and the other players fold without paying the fee, does the Bid Winner automatically win the pot?

  Yes.

• Does the dealer burn a card before the Bid Card is used?

  Yes.

Final Betting

• Is there another round of betting after the Bid Auction?

  Yes, regardless of whether the Bid Winner changes one of the community cards. Typically, the minimum bet during the final round of betting is equal to one-half the winning Bid Amount (i.e., if the winning Bid was $100, then the minimum bet during the final round would be $50). If you are playing a no-limit tournament, the same "all-in" rules apply during the final round as exist during the earlier rounds.

• Which player is the first to place a bet during the final Bid Round of betting?

  The bid winner places the first bet after changing a card or not.

• If you win the Bid, do you have to bet 50% of the bid or can you bet less?

  You can bet up to 50% of the Bid.

• When playing Omaha Bid >Em, can you declare Hi-Low after the Bid or do cards show?

  Cards show.

• If you show Hi-Low can you tie and still win the pot?

  Yes, but you will split if someone else ties you.