The Rules and Gameplay

Ante Up

• Each player places their initial bet (ante) into the pot.

Deal

• The dealer gives out five cards to each player, one at a time. The dealer's fifth card, which is the last one dealt, is flipped over, and its suit becomes the trump suit. In BooRay!, the trump suit beats all other suits. For example, a two of trumps beats an ace of any other suit.

Declare Intent

• Starting with the player to the dealer's left and moving clockwise, each player decides whether they want to play the hand or fold. Some variations of the game may require an additional ante at this point.

Draw Cards

• The dealer asks the remaining players how many new cards they want, from zero to five. Players discard an equal number of cards from their hand and receive new ones. If the deck runs out, the dealer shuffles the folded hands and uses those cards.

Play the Hand

• The player to the dealer's left who is still in the game starts by playing any card. The rules for playing cards are as follows, with lower-numbered rules overriding higher-numbered ones:

• You must play an on-suit card if possible, even if your highest on-suit card will not beat the highest card in play, even if a trump has been played on a non-trump lead.

• You must play a trump if you have no on-suit cards and can "play to win". For instance, if the only trump played is a three and you have the two and ace of trumps but no cards of the lead suit, you must play the ace of trumps. If you cannot "play to win," then you do not have to play a trump card that cannot possibly win the trick. Some variants override the "play to win" rule and require a trump card to be played regardless.

• If you have neither a card of the lead suit nor trumps, you may play any card. This is considered an off card and is effectively lower than a two of the lead suit.

Winning the Hand

• The winner of a given round or trick collects the cards and places them face-up in front of them, then leads with another card. Play continues until all five tricks have been completed.

• If a single player takes more tricks than any other player, they win the hand and take all the winnings in the pot.

• If more than one player ties for the most tricks, this results in a split pot. With five tricks, the only possible splits are 2-2-1 and 1-1-1-1-1. In the case of a split pot, the winnings remain on the table.

Penalty for Getting Boo'ed

• Any player who took no tricks or reneged (did not follow the rules properly) during play has been Boo’ed and must match the pot for the next round instead of adding the usual ante. For example, if there is $500 in the pot at the end of a hand and someone has been Boo’ed, they must put $500 into the pot for the next round.