Bonedoneskis

This is an explanation of a game I created, we amended, and now shall be known all over the world. It's first mention can be found in the entry Home Game Fun.

It was my turn to pick a dealer's choice game. I couldn't think of anything I wanted to play, since we had started the night playing Mixed, and had turned into gambling games like 3 Card Guts and Beat the Dummy.

"The name of the game, gentlemen, is Bonedoneskis. Here's how it's played. It's a six-card stud game, the stakes are one-two with a fifty-cent ante, and the low card brings in. Sevens face up are wild, and threes face up are a sell card if you pay the pot two-fifty."

And that was the start of Bonedoneskis. After a huge fit of laughter and light headedness, we got through the first hand. After we played the first hand, and after much discussion (and a bit of drunkeness/tiredness), this beautiful game was refined. If you're looking for a real man's game, read on.

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Bonedoneskis, a 6-Card Stud Game
$.50 ante, $1-2

The betting is the same as any stud game. Before the deal, every player antes $.50. Each player is then dealt two hole cards face down and one card face up. The lowest card must then automatically bring in for $.50 (wild cards count, so on a board of 7-8-10-A, the 8 would bring in since the 7 is wild and may count for an Ace). After the bring in, players must call the bring in bet, complete to $1, or fold. If anyone wishes to raise after someone has raised the bring in to $1, then they must raise in $1 increments.

After the betting round, each player still in the pot is dealt another card face up. The highest hand is then first to act, with betting increments in $1. After this betting round, one more card face up is dealt. The highest hand is first to act again, with the betting increments in $2 this time. If there is a red Jack or the Queen of spades dealt up on any player's board on fifth street, the game is then extended to a seven card-stud game.

If there is no red Jack or the Queen of spades dealt face up on fifth street, the sixth and final card is dealt face down and one more betting round occurs. The best five card hand, including wilds, wins the pot.

If there is a red Jack or the Queen of spades dealt face up on fifth street, the sixth card is dealt face up with a betting round following, and the final card is dealt face down, as in 7-card stud. However, if a red Jack or the Queen of Spades is dealt up on sixth street, the game turns into an 8-card stud game, with the seventh card being dealt face up, and the eighth and final card dealt face down. In each case, the best five card hand wins.

Now, that seems simple enough, but here is the Official List of Rules for Bonedoneskis:

1 – No Copies! – A "wild card" or "derived card" may not duplicate a card that is already in your hand. For example: If you hold the A♠-2♠-9♠-5♠-A♦-6♣ you may not use the 6♣ as an A♠, as the A♠ is already in play in your hand. (see rule #8)

2 – Stopped Dead – Any wild card or derived card may not take on the "power"(action) of the natural card. For example, if you use a wild card for a 3, you cannot use that wild as a sell card, even though it's representing a 3. (see rule #7)

3 – Stone Cold Nuts – The nuts in Bonedoneskis is 2's full of 5's. Any wild card may be used to make the nuts.

4 – 2 Hog – If a player is dealt the 2s, he has the option to take a 2 or a 5 from any player's board up until that street. The player who is stolen from does not receive a replacement card, nor must the stealer discard any of his.

5 – The 7's – 7's face up are wild.

6 – Black Jack – If a black J is face up in a player’s hand, the player must pay $2.50 to the pot upon it being dealt or revealed, or fold his hand. If a J is paid for, it is “activated” and becomes wild. If a player trades for or steals a black J after it has been activated, it remains wild.

7 – The 3’s – If a 3 is exposed, either dealt or through having a hole card turned over, you may pay $2.50 to the pot and replace your 3 with the first card off the top of the deck. If you pass your option to sell your 3 when it is dealt or exposed, you may not sell that 3 on a later street.

8 – Black 6’s – Black 6's are played as either that 6, or any Ace

9 – Red 6’s – Red 6's do not play, and are dead cards. They cannot be used to complete any hand, not even a pair. For example, if you have a red 6 in your final six card hand, your hand now contains only 5 cards.

10 – A Bonedoneskis – If a player has both red 6's face up on their board, the hand ends and the pot is automatically awarded to that player. Both red 6's must be the natural 6's (no wilds). This is known as a Bonedoneskis.

11 – Ace Option – Any Ace plays as that Ace or a red 6. For example: If you hold the
A♠-2♥-4♥-5♥-3♥-6♥, even though the natural 6♥ doesn't play, the A♠ could
play as the 6♥, giving you a straight flush, 6-high.

12 – Trade Cards – If a player is dealt the 9♦, 10♠, or 2♥ face up, that player MUST trade that card with any other player's up card from that street.

13 – No Retrade – If a player trades one trade card for another, the second trade is then void. For example, if you trade the 9♦ for the 10♠, you can not trade the 10♠ with another card.

14 – 8 Ball – If a player is dealt the 8♠, he has the option to pay $2.50 to the pot to trade the 8♠ with any card on any other player’s board, whether it was from the current street or a previous street. If a player passes on the option to trade when dealt the 8♠, that player may not use that option at a later time.

15 – Killer 4 – If the 4♣ is face down, that hand will be ruled dead at showdown. You may try to bluff with the 4♣ face down and win without showing down. However if the 4♣ is revealed in a showdown the hand is automatically dead.

16 – Dueling Snowmen – If the two red 8's are dealt consecutively face up, the game must stop immediately and the two players who are dealt the 8's must each pay $2.50 to a side spot. Those two players will then each be dealt three cards from a seperate deck and play war, best two of three cards, where the winner will then be awarded the side pot.The Bonedoneskis hand will then complete as usual. War can be instigated in between streets. For example, if the last card of third street is a red 8, and the first card of fourth street is the other red 8, a war is instituted.

17 – Queen of Hearts – If the Q♥ is face up, the person holding the Q♥ has the option to pick any hole card of any player, and then the person must turn that card face up for the rest of the hand. Once turned face up, that card may be turned face down once again as a result of the 4-tician rule. (see rule #19)

18 – The King’s Men – If a black King is face up, the person holding the black King must turn over one of his own hole cards. That person may pick which one he wants to turn up.

19 – 4-tician – When a red 4 is face up, either by being dealt or by having a hole card exposed, the person holding the red 4 may make any person turn one of their board cards face down. For example, if Player A holding the X-X-6♠-4♣-Q♥ makes Player B expose one of his hole cards, and he exposes a 4♥, Player B can then make Player A turn down the 4♣ and Player A's hand now cannot win at showdown.

20 – Codependent 2’s – If a player is dealt the 2♦ or the 2♣ on fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh street, he may then combine that 2 with the card on its immediate left while retaining the suit of the left-hand card. For example, if your board reads X-X-7♥-5♦-2♣, you may then combine the 5♦ and 2♣ to make a 7♦, wherein your board will now read as a pair of sevens. If you combine two cards, those cards can either play as the combined card OR the separate cards at showdown. For example: the hand J♥-9♥-5♠-9♦-2♣-J♣ does not read as J's full of 9's, only three J's with a 9 and a 5. You may not duplicate a card that is already in your hand. For example, you cannot combine the 8♣, 2♦ to make the 10♣ if you already have the 10♣ in your hand.

21 – I Got The Nine – If a person is dealt the 9♠ face up, every player at the table who is still in the hand must pay that player $1. The player must point out that he’s holding the 9♠ for the required payment to be valid. However, if a trade card is dealt in the same round and the trade is for the 9♠, no one must pay either the original 9♠ holder or the player now in possession.

22 – Schizo4nia – If the 4♠ is face up on:
third street, it counts as the 4♠ or the 8♠
fourth street, it counts as the 4♠ or the Q♠
fifth street, it counts as the 4♠ or a pair of 4's (4♠, 4 no suit)

23 – Fishing Hook in a Sailboat and a Liferaft – If a player's board shows both a Jack and 4, that player must pay $2.50 to the pot or fold. A player may be saved from paying this fee if there is an 8 (Liferaft) separating the Jack and the 4. For example: a board of X-X-J-4-8 would have to pay $2.50, while a board of X-X-4-8-J would not.

24 – The Krabler Rule – If a player is dealt the Krabler (K3) in sequence, that player must automatically bet if checked to, or raise if bet to, one time that round. For example: your board reads X-X-K and you are dealt a 3 on fourth street, and decide not to sell that 3, you must bet or raise one time on that betting round. Similarly, if your board reads X-X-J-3-K, you must also bet or raise once during that betting round. However, if your board were to read X-X-K-J-3, no action would be required since they were not dealt on consecutive streets.

25 – The River King – If a red King was origially dealt face down as a hole card, but is turned up either through the Q♥ or a black King, and remains up through the remainder of the hand, the river is then dealt face up to all other players.

26 – Straight Up Face Down Trade– If a player's board reads three cards in numerical order, either ascending or descending order, that player must trade a down card with the neighbor closest to the highest card in the sequence. The sequence may appear anywhere on a player's board. The trade must be a random pick from either player. For example: If you are dealt the X-X-6♣-5-4, you would randomly pick a hole card from the player to your left, while he would pick a hole card of yours. Similarly, if your board read X-X-4-10-J♥-Q♣, you would trade a hole card with the person to your right.

27 – Precedence – All “trade” actions take precedence over any other card actions and must take place before any “buy” option. For example, if the first player is dealt the J♠ and the second player is dealt the 9♦, the second player must execute the trade first. If the J♠ is taken in the trade, the player must act on the Black Jack rule. Similarly, if you must trade with a 3, you then have the option to sell that three.

28 – Precedence Pt. II – All other actions (such as trades, steals, reveals, or buys) must be executed in the order they are dealt, starting from the left of the dealer.

29 – Nighty-Night – It is known that any action or power of any card except for the trade cards may be slept. Sleeping a card means that if you don’t recognize your own card’s action, no one is required to tell you. For example: if a player is dealt the 9♠ and doesn’t ask for a $1, then no one is required to pay that person.

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And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Bonedoneskis. If the rules seem unclear, it is only because you haven't played the game yet. Once you really get the game going and ave a decent grasp on the concepts and rules of Bonedoneskis, you will understand the true poker strategy required to win the game.

Start playin it, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we now do. If you have any questions on the game or the rules, leave a comment in this entry.

Until next time, play on.