How to play, scarney? (1 Viewer)

[TrainerRed]

Hello. I downloaded the list of mixed card games from the resources tab. There is a game there known as, scarney. I haven't been able to find clarifications of it somewhere else online.
Do players reveal both boards at the same time (or do they play one board until the river, then play the bottom board?), then when players see the bottom board, do they discard cards with the rank that matches the bottom board, or that match both, the top and bottom board?

Moreover, the cards that are placed face up on the second board are not used in the game, right? Wouldn't people get confused by seeing too many discarded cards on the second board?
Why aren't they thrown to a discard pile since it's impossible for a player to hold cards that match the bottom (and top too?) board anyways? It won't lead to confusion by having them pilled. Or do you think players discard their cards face up on top of the matching rank cards like solitaire?

H


ow

 

[inca911]

Scarney 101:
Each player gets 5 (or 6) cards. The five card version plays better, in my opinion, as there is an increased risk of losing your hand. Two boards will be dealt at the same time, each with a three card flop, 2 card turn, and final card river. Standard double board game mechanics are used. For the top board, you may use any number of cards remaining in your hand at the end of the game to make the best poker hand. That’s half the pot. For the bottom board, if a card in your hand matches the rank of a bottom board card then you discard it face up to its spot on the bottom row at the time the board is exposed. The dealer announces the rank of the bottom cards when turned face up to facilitate the discard phase (i.e., the top cards are not spoken). The bottom cards from the players are discarded face up and organized to avoid mistakes/cheating and so everyone has the same information. The second half of the pot goes to the lowest point count using only the cards remaining in your hand. Aces are one point, face cards ten points, and count pips for the others. In Icelandic scarney, if you end up with zero cards in your hand then you have no hand to play (i.e., you don’t have nut low with zero points, you have no hand and you lose). In Canadian Scarney, you can still play with zero cards and you have the nut low, but you can’t bet and must apologize for having no cards in hand. Fun game, but Scarney can be scary. I mean it’s the word “scary”, just with ‘ne’ added! Someone could have quads with just 3 cards in hand (and also have a three point hand if those cards are aces).

 

[detroitdad]

Do players reveal both boards at the same time

Both boards are exposed incrementally. After the deal, and the first round of betting, we basically see two flops. The top board to the dealer is the playable board, the bottom board is the discard board. You immediately throw away your cards face up. Then another round of betting. Then two, two card turns are exposed. You immediately throw away any cards that match the bottom two turn cards. Round of betting, rinse and repeat with the river card (1 on top and one on bottom)

Wouldn't people get confused by seeing too many

Nope, the dealer simply keeps it organized.

Why aren't they thrown to a discard pile since it's impossible for a player to hold cards that match the bottom

The key to this game is "information". You can see what cards/suits are discarded, how many cards each player has left, ect.....Lots of information available in this game if you are paying attention.

 

[CrazyEddie]

>How to play scarney?

Drunk.

 

[grebe]

Hello. I downloaded the list of mixed card games from the resources tab. There is a game there known as, scarney. I haven't been able to find clarifications of it somewhere else online.

Do players reveal both boards at the same time (or do they play one board until the river, then play the bottom board?),

Reveal both boards at the same time...kinda like a double board omaha hand.

then when players see the bottom board, do they discard cards with the rank that matches the bottom board, or that match both, the top and bottom board?

just the bottom board. The bottom board is your throw away board, the top board plays to your poker hand.

Moreover, the cards that are placed face up on the second board are not used in the game, right? Wouldn't people get confused by seeing too many discarded cards on the second board?

This is correct. No, it's not confusing because you put the cards on top of each other, so all the 5's are together, all the J's are together, etc.

Why aren't they thrown to a discard pile since it's impossible for a player to hold cards that match the bottom (and top too?) board anyways?

Not sure why this would be better. As played, it keeps things organized.

It won't lead to confusion by having them pilled. Or do you think players discard their cards face up on top of the matching rank cards like solitaire?

Yes, like solitaire.

 

[JMC9389]

Just get a lighter and put your money up to it and it's the same thing as scarney, no table, chips, or other participants required.

@inca911 has probably forgotten more about playing mixed games than I have ever learned, listen to him

 

[Highli99]

Scarney isn't a game its a degenerate lifestyle for self-loathing people that hate money. God it's so much fun though.

 

[DoubleEagle]

Best way to play scarney is to sit out that orbit.

 

[utgtrash]

scarney/scrotum is all u need

 

[grebe]

scarney/scrotum is all u need

to never have played drawmaha or badacey would be a life less lived.

 

[pltrgyst]

In my home game, we once played a variant in which any card from the top board which matched the bottom board was also removed from the top board and added to the bottom board pile for that denom.

I thought that played even better...ymmv!

 

[moose]

Pot and pray...

 

[CraigT78]

We love to play Scarney with a ghost hand. You have to beat the ghost hand or the pot the ghost wins stays in the pot for the next hand.

 

[CraigT78]

In my home game, we once played a variant in which any card from the top board which matched the bottom board was also also removed from the top board and added to the bottom board pile for that denom.

I thought that played even better...ymmv!

Need a name for this!

 

[bergs]

Reveal both boards at the same time...kinda like a double board omaha hand.

just the bottom board. The bottom board is your throw away board, the top board plays to your poker hand.


This is correct. No, it's not confusing because you put the cards on top of each other, so all the 5's are together, all the J's are together, etc.

Not sure why this would be better. As played, it keeps things organized.

Yes, like solitaire.

You want the cards discarded face up on the bottom board because you want to see if they’re out or if any could be left on the top board.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Don't try and bully someone with a 5 card Eleven and a boat when they have a 3 card 10 and quads.....

 

[kirchhausen]

Scarney 101:
Each player gets 5 (or 6) cards. The five card version plays better, in my opinion, as there is an increased risk of losing your hand. Two boards will be dealt at the same time, each with a three card flop, 2 card turn, and final card river. Standard double board game mechanics are used. For the top board, you may use any number of cards remaining in your hand at the end of the game to make the best poker hand. That’s half the pot. For the bottom board, if a card in your hand matches the rank of a bottom board card then you discard it face up to its spot on the bottom row at the time the board is exposed. The dealer announces the rank of the bottom cards when turned face up to facilitate the discard phase (i.e., the top cards are not spoken). The bottom cards from the players are discarded face up and organized to avoid mistakes/cheating and so everyone has the same information. The second half of the pot goes to the lowest point count using only the cards remaining in your hand. Aces are one point, face cards ten points, and count pips for the others. In Icelandic scarney, if you end up with zero cards in your hand then you have no hand to play (i.e., you don’t have nut low with zero points, you have no hand and you lose). In Canadian Scarney, you can still play with zero cards and you have the nut low, but you can’t bet and must apologize for having no cards in hand. Fun game, but Scarney can be scary. I mean it’s the word “scary”, just with ‘ne’ added! Someone could have quads with just 3 cards in hand (and also have a three point hand if those cards are aces).

And you have to pronounce it correctly, as well. When you say "sorry", it must rhyme with the British word for a tractor-trailer, or else your hand is dead.

 

[TheBigTater]

A few years ago when I was introduced to the game I would say the best way to play Scarney is to not play it. At the beginning it looks & feels like a bingo game. Any powerful hand can be totally decimated at the drop of a hat and it seems there is not real strategy to play, just grab your ass and hang on.

But after playing the game for a while you will find there is an optimal strategy to play and once you find that it is a really fun game. As @detroitdad said it is a game where you are provided with a ton of information, use it wisely.

 

[bsdunbar1]

A few years ago when I was introduced to the game I would say the best way to play Scarney is to not play it. At the beginning it looks & feels like a bingo game. Any powerful hand can be totally decimated at the drop of a hat and it seems there is not real strategy to play, just grab your ass and hang on.

But after playing the game for a while you will find there is an optimal strategy to play and once you find that it is a really fun game. As @detroitdad said it is a game where you are provided with a ton of information, use it wisely.

^^ This EXACTLY

 

[Ben8257]

I bought this book when I joined PCF a few years back, the title was "Best way to play Scarney, all tactics and stategys reviewed and discussed"

I thought "man this book is pretty damn thin!" Opened the book to its single page context which was just a picture, so you don't get scammed I will share the picture with you.

Lol!

For the record I love scarney though.

 

[detroitdad]

A few years ago when I was introduced to the game I would say the best way to play Scarney is to not play it. At the beginning it looks & feels like a bingo game. Any powerful hand can be totally decimated at the drop of a hat and it seems there is not real strategy to play, just grab your ass and hang on.

But after playing the game for a while you will find there is an optimal strategy to play and once you find that it is a really fun game. As @detroitdad said it is a game where you are provided with a ton of information, use it wisely.

That was/is my relationship with scarney lol

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Scarney isn't a game its a degenerate lifestyle for self-loathing people that hate money. God it's so much fun though.

Hey now, I don’t hate money, that’s such a strong word. I hate broccoli. I’m apathetic towards money.

 

[raynmanas]

i learned scarney from @bergs and co. just a couple weeks ago. of all the new circus games i learned (or finally actually played) that day, scarney was the by far the biggest mindf*ck.

 

[Samuel]

In my home game, we once played a variant in which any card from the top board which matched the bottom board was also removed from the top board and added to the bottom board pile for that denom.

I thought that played even better...ymmv!

We have a similar game called Heaven & Hell. Everybody antes. Five cards dealt per player. 2 rows of 5 community cards dealt face down in the middle - top row is Heaven, adds to your hand; bottom row is Hell, takes away from your hand (you must discard if matched) and from upper row cards as well (don't know why Hell is "more powerful" than Heaven in this case). Initial betting round (action always starts left of dealer). Starting from the cards on the dealer's left side, the first two cards (one from top row and one from bottom row) are flipped up. Any cards matching the Hell card are immediately moved down and/or discarded on top of the Hell card. Next betting round. Next two cards. And so on until the last two cards are flipped up and final betting round after.

You can play it high or low or hi/lo. You can also make the last Heaven card wild. You can also add a Purgatory (middle row) - you can't use Purgatory cards in your hand but if they match Heaven, they move up and into play (if they match Hell, they move down and out). You can expose Purgatory one card at a time during normal play or you can show all or part of Purgatory before the first betting round.

FWIW, we play limit bet/raise for this game - we've never played pot limit or no limit, that would be crazy! hahaha Also, it's strictly poker hands, no points. Funniest result was one time when one guy won (just playing high only) with 1 card left in his hand - quads...

 

[ovo]

So, with Scarney coming up at the Continental meetup, circus tourney, I was wondering about discards. Are you required to discard if you get a match on the bottom board, or is it optional, obviously taking in all the possibilities of the top board and your final cards in hand. I'm still trying to work this game out in my head. And I guess when you discard, you have to do it immediately when the bottom cards are exposed ?

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

So, with Scarney coming up at the Continental meetup, circus tourney, I was wondering about discards. Are you required to discard if you get a match on the bottom board, or is it optional, obviously taking in all the possibilities of the top board and your final cards in hand. I'm still trying to work this game out in my head. And I guess when you discard, you have to do it immediately when the bottom cards are exposed ?

Mandatory discard to match the bottom board; if you don't when necessary your hand is disqualified and you forfeit the pot. Done immediately before betting when revealed.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Ooh we could make up a game called liar’s scarney where nobody discards till all action is completed after the river.

 

[SavageLizard]

Will have to trot this out at our next game, sounds like fun.