Whisky Poker
An American poker variant documented in the 1875 edition of Hoyle's Games, where players trade cards with a shared central hand instead of drawing from the dealer — often played for drinks rather than money.
Coming soon — not yet playable
Rules
Whisky Poker appeared in print in the American Hoyle's Games as early as 1875, alongside early documentation of Draw and Stud poker, making it one of the earliest recorded poker variants in the United States.
Each player is dealt five cards, and one additional five-card hand — the "widow" — is dealt face down to the table. Rather than drawing from the deck, players take turns either passing or exchanging their entire hand for the widow (or, once someone has taken the widow, for the discarded hand left behind by whoever took it before them). A player satisfied with their hand may "knock," ending the round and triggering a showdown of standard poker hands.
Historical note: gaming historians link Whisky Poker's card-trading mechanic to the French game Commerce (also in this library), suggesting a European root for what became a distinctly American home-game tradition — reportedly named for its popularity as a game played for a round of drinks rather than money.
Strategy notes: Because the entire hand (not individual cards) is traded, timing when to knock is the central skill — knocking too early risks someone else improving to beat you on their next turn, while waiting too long risks someone else knocking first.
Common house rules
Knocking ends the round immediately
Standard rule: once a player knocks, every other player gets exactly one more turn to trade (if they wish) before the showdown — knocking doesn't end the hand instantly, just starts the final round.
No penalty for a bad knock
Unlike some knock-based games, standard Whisky Poker has no penalty for knocking with a hand that turns out to lose — it simply ends the hand at showdown as normal.
Played for drinks, historically
True to its name, many home revivals keep the stakes low and social — matchsticks, chips redeemable for a round of drinks, or nothing at all — rather than serious money.
Related games
Based on shared category, origin, and rules that reference each other.
Commerce
An 18th-century French vying game where players trade cards with a shared table pool to build the best three-card combination — a likely ancestor of Whisky Poker.
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