• How to Play
This round consists of an auction bid where the succesful bidder controls the next card in the deck. The player may use this card to change the board by replacing a card in order to improve the hand or "burn" the card to protect what is already there.
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer button, each of the remaining players in the hand bid to change one of the five community cards on the table, or to leave them as they are. The bidding starts at $10.00 and will continue in $10.00 increments until the bid reaches $50.00. Then, it can go in $20.00 increments until the maximum or up to 10 times the tables stakes (i.e., in a $5.00 - $10.00 game, the bid can go to $100.00).
The player who wins the bid, has the right to either change one of the board cards or leave the board as it is, and then bet one half of the winning bid. For example, if playing in a $5.00/$10.00 game, the bid may go up to $100.00 which subsequently results in a final round of $50.00 betting, whether a card is changed or not.
(Players 2, 3, 5, and 7 all folded before Bid'em started)
| Player 1 | Player 4 | Player 6 | Player 8 |
| "I bid $10.00" | "I bid $20.00" | "I pass" | "I bid $30.00" |
| "I bid $40.00" | "I pass" | "I bid $50.00" | |
| "I bid $80.00" | "I bid $100.00" | ||
| "I call the bid of $100.00" |
Now Player 1 and Player 8 cut cards as to see who wins to take the bid...
The bid process continues around the table until all the players but one drop out or pass. If two or more players bid the maximum dollar amount, there is a draw off. The dealer burns a card and then deals out the next 2 or 3 or 4 cards for the number of players who bid the maximum. The highest card wins the bid and the right to control the board.
All players who had passed or stopped bidding along the way are still in the hand and now have to match the big blind table stakes (ina $5.00/$10.00 game, it would be $10.00) or fold. (If the player winning the bid does not change a board card, the other players who are still in the hand do not have to pay the match at all. They are still in the hand at no extra cost.) No bid money is actually put into the pot until it is determined who won the bid and at what bid price.
For example, the successful bidder has the Ace/Deuce of Spades "two Spades from his hand using three from the board making a Spade Flush, but there is also a pair of Kings on the board. The player takes the bid for $100.00, and now he must replace the off-suite King to keep the flush as the high hand."
Before seeing the next card, the player must declare he is changing a card. The other players must pay to see the change ($10.00). This allows the bidder to immediately recoup some of the bid money (provided the bidder wins the hand.)
Player 8 has won the bid and announces he is changing a card. He does not say which card he is changing. (Now he must put in $100.00)
(House rules determine the minimum and maximum dollar amount of the auction bid card.)
Players 1, 4, and 6 must now either put in $10.00 each (the predetermined match) or fold.
Player 6 folds... which now leaves Players 1 and 4, still in Bid'em with each putting the $10.00 match in the pot.
Player 8 says he is changing the King of Hearts.
The dealer burns the next card and then takes the card after off the deck and puts it over the King of Hearts. The card is Four of Hearts, which has changed the pair of Kings on board, to a Flush (Spades) as the high hand on the board. (If the changed card had been a Five of Hearts, Player 1 would have a 5's Full with Kings and would beat Player 8's Ace High Flush.)
Player 8 bets $50.00 (one half the bid). Player 1 calls the $50.00. Player 4 folds leaving two players.
Players 1 and 8 turn over their hands...
Player 1 has a King of Spades and Five of Diamonds. (Giving him 2 pairs Kings and Fives.)
Player 8 has an Ace of Spades and Two of Spades. (Giving him a Spade Flush.)
Player 8 wins the hand with an Ace High Flush, and by taking the bid was able to kill the Full House of Player 1. Player 8 wins all the money. So instead of a pot of $170.00* in standard Hold'em, the pot value for Bid'em is:
| $100.00 | BID - $100.00 |
| $20.00 | Two players call at $10.00 each = $20.00 |
| $100.00 | Bid winner Player 8 changes a card and bets $50.00 and Player 1 calls $50.00 |
| $220.00 | Total extra in pot with Bid'em |
| Total Pot: | $370.00 instead of $150.00 |
The difference between Bid'em Poker and high stakes gambling is that in Official Bid'Em the players have already seen all the cards but one, so it becomes more of a business decision rather than a gamble. They can see the possibilities on the board and can make an educated decision based on the percentages or simply a gut feeling to participate in the bid.
There are three decisions the player has to make in Official Bid'Em Poker:
- Whether to bid.
- Whether to pay the bid card fee, if changed.
- Whether to join the final round of betting.
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Player 5 | Player 6 | Player 7 | Player 8 |
| Small blind $5 + $5 | Big blind $10 | fold | $10 | fold | $10 | fold | $10 |
| FLOP | |||||||
| $5 | fold | $5 | $5 | $5 | |||
| TURN | |||||||
| $10 | $10 | $10 | $10 | ||||
| RIVER | |||||||
| $10 | $10 | $10 | $10 | ||||
