WGN Texas Trade'em

WGN Texas Trade'em is a skill-based alternative to Texas Hold'em Poker. Betting rounds are replaced by trading rounds and every player has an equal chance of obtaining the best hand. Your ability to remember the location of previously exposed hole cards will determine your success in the game. Two to ten players compete in a 15-hand tournament by holding or trading hole cards on our wireless Little Black Boxes while all the table action is displayed on the TV monitors for all to see.

Player Interface Little Black Box	Server Display TV Monitor

Game Rules

1. WGN Texas Trade'em is a game involving memorization. Therefore, note taking, photography of the screens, or help from other people is strictly forbidden.
   
   
2. Two hole cards are dealt face down to every seat, including all the empty seats for a total of twenty cards.
   
   
3. A "Flash Round" occurs where each pair of holes cards is turned face up for a short amount of time. This starts with the seat to the left of the button. Then those cards are turned back over and (going clockwise) the cards at the next seat are exposed briefly until all ten sets have been seen. The goal is to memorize as many cards and their location as possible to make the best hand after all five community cards are dealt. After the Flash Round you will now see on your game device the two cards that were dealt to your seat. The other nine pairs will be face down.
   
   
4. The first round of "Hold'em or Trade'em" occurs. No community cards have yet been dealt at this point. You can click the Hold'em button on your game device to keep your existing cards or click the Trade'em button to take the cards at another seat. You have 25 seconds to make a decision or else the default result will be the same as if you selected "Hold'em". If you clicked the Trade'em button you then click on the cards at any seat to expose those cards and turn your current cards face down. Or if you change your mind you can click on your own cards to keep them. However, once you've clicked any pair, your choice is set for that round. Multiple players can select the same seat.
   
   
5. After all players have made a selection, the Flop (first three community cards) is dealt face up on the table. A second round of "Hold'em or Trade'em" occurs. Players can reselect cards they had previously if desired.
   
   
6. The Turn card (fourth community card) is dealt face up on the table. Another round of "Hold'em or Trade'em" occurs.
   
   
7. The River (fifth and last community card) is dealt face up on the table. A final round of "Hold'em or Trade'em" occurs.
   
   
8. The final selected hole cards are now displayed face up on the table for each player and a showdown occurs to determine the best five-card poker hand, with any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards. Split pots will be common since multiple players can select the same pair of hole cards. The pot is fixed in size at 2520 chips. This number is evenly divisible by any number of winners (2 through 10) so that fractional awards will not occur.
   
   
9. The tournament is over after 15 hands are played. Final results will be displayed on the overhead monitor and in the History tab on the game device.