Chicago (Chicago Poker)

Full rules

1. Overview
2. The cards and poker hands
3. Setup
4. The three buys (exchanges)
5. Playing the tricks
6. Final hand showdown
7. Calling "Chicago"
8. The freeze (Köpstopp)
9. Winning the game
10. Tips for beginners
11. Variants

Overview

Chicago is Sweden's favourite card game: a lively combination of draw poker and trick-taking. Players receive five cards and get three chances to exchange unwanted cards for new ones, scoring points whenever they hold the best poker hand. After the third exchange, the cards are played out in tricks where only the very last trick matters. The first player to reach 52 points wins the game.

• Players: 2–4 (also playable with up to 6).
• You need: one standard 52-card deck without jokers, and paper and pencil for the score.
• Direction: dealing and play go clockwise (to the left).

The cards and poker hands

In trick-taking, cards rank from high to low: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. There are no trumps.

During the exchange phases, players aim to build standard poker hands. Only the single player with the best hand scores points:

Setup

1. Dealer: choose a dealer at random. After each deal, the turn to deal passes to the left.
2. Deal: the dealer shuffles and deals 5 cards to each player, one at a time, face down.
3. The remaining cards form the face-down draw pile in the middle of the table.

The three buys (exchanges)

A round features three exchange phases, traditionally called "buys", although no money or chips are involved.

1. First buy

Starting with the player to the dealer's left (eldest hand) and going clockwise, each player may discard any number of cards (0 to 5) face down and draw the same number of fresh cards from the draw pile.

Once all players have completed their exchange, players announce their poker combinations verbally: - Eldest hand names their hand (e.g. "a pair"). - The next player speaks only if they have a better hand; otherwise they say "pass". - You do not reveal the cards unless another player claims an equal combination (e.g. both hold two pairs), in which case the higher ranks decide by standard poker rules. - The player holding the highest hand scores its points on the score pad. If nobody holds a pair or better, nobody scores.

Example: Anna has a pair of Kings, Ben has two pairs (8s and 3s), and Carla has a pair of Aces. Ben holds the best hand and scores 2 points. Anna and Carla score nothing.

2. Second buy

Players repeat the exchange in the same order, again discarding 0 to 5 cards and drawing replacements.

Once more, players announce their hands, and the owner of the best hand scores its point value.

Important rule: if you previously scored points for a hand and want to break it up during a subsequent buy (e.g. breaking two pairs to chase a flush), you must briefly show the scoring combination to the table before discarding, or keep your discards aside to verify later.

3. Third buy

Players may exchange cards a third and final time. However, no poker points are scored immediately after this third buy. Instead, players keep their final five cards for the trick-taking phase.

Playing the tricks

After the third buy, the five cards in hand are played out in tricks:

1. The lead: the player to the dealer's left leads the first card.
2. Following suit: each player in clockwise order plays one card. You must follow suit (play a card of the suit led) if you can. If you cannot follow suit, you may discard any card.
3. Winning the trick: the highest card of the suit led wins the trick. Remember, there are no trumps.
4. Keeping cards in front: instead of sweeping cards into a central pile, each player places their played card face up in front of them. This preserves each player's five cards for the final showdown!
5. The winner of the trick leads to the next trick.

The fifth trick (Spelet)

Tricks 1 to 4 award no points at all. The winner of the fifth and final trick scores 5 points!

Final hand showdown

Immediately after the fifth trick, all players look at the five cards lying face up in front of them. The player who has the best poker combination scores its point value on the score pad.

Calling "Chicago"

If a player believes their final five cards are strong enough to win all five tricks, they may boldly call "Chicago!" right before the first trick is led.

• Requirement: to prevent reckless calls, you must have at least 15 points on the score pad to call Chicago.
• Success: if the caller wins all five tricks, they score 15 bonus points. (No points are awarded for the last trick or the best hand in that deal).
• Failure: if any other player wins even a single trick, the play ends instantly. The caller loses 15 points (−15), and no other points are awarded for that deal.

The freeze (Köpstopp)

To keep the endgame tense and give trailing players a chance to catch up, a freeze rule applies: - Once a player reaches 46 points or more, they enter the freeze. - In all subsequent deals, that player is not allowed to exchange any cards (no buys). They must play the five cards originally dealt to them.

Winning the game

Running totals are kept across deals. The first player to reach 52 points wins the game.

If multiple players cross 52 in the same deal, points are tallied strictly in the order they were earned: 1. Best hand after buy 1 2. Best hand after buy 2 3. Chicago call (if declared) 4. The fifth trick (5 points) 5. Final showdown hand

The first player whose score reaches 52 at that exact moment wins immediately.

Tips for beginners

• Do not chase flushes too early: a modest pair or two pairs after buy 1 or 2 puts valuable points on the board.
• Save high cards for the fifth trick: holding an Ace or King for the final trick can secure the vital 5-point bonus.
• Track what has been discarded: knowing which high cards have already been thrown away gives you a huge advantage in the trick play.
• Be cautious with Chicago: calling Chicago is exhilarating, but a failed call costs 15 hard-earned points. Make sure you have near-unbeatable cards across several suits.

Variants

• Play to 51: many tables play to a target of 51 points rather than 52.
• Four of a kind reset: at some tables, four of a kind gives the holder 7 points and resets all opponents back to 0 points.
• Straight flush bonus: at some tables, a straight flush is worth 11 points instead of 8.
• Free Chicago: some casual games allow a Chicago call from 0 points, with a penalty that drops the caller to −15.