Poker hands and tricks, first to 52 points.
Chicago scores points both for poker hands and for tricks. The game runs until someone reaches 52 points.
Each player is dealt five cards. You may then discard and replace anything from none to all five to improve your hand. How many exchanges you get is a house rule, usually two or three.
Once the exchanges are done everyone reveals their hand. Whoever holds the best poker hand scores according to the table at the bottom.
Everyone keeps their five cards. The player to the dealer's left leads the first card. You must follow suit if you can. The highest card of the led suit takes the trick, and the winner leads the next one. Whoever takes the fifth and final trick scores 2 extra points.
If you think you can take all five tricks, call chicago before the first card is led. Succeed and you score 15 points. Lose even a single trick and 15 points are deducted.
Once you reach 46 points or more your hand is locked. For the rest of the game you may not exchange any cards and must play the five you are dealt.
One pair: 1 point Two pair: 2 points Three of a kind: 3 points Straight: 4 points Flush: 5 points Full house: 6 points Four of a kind: 7 points Straight flush: 8 points
When the ranks are exactly equal — say two 5-6-7-8-9 straights in different suits — a house rule decides. Either it counts as a dead tie and both players score the full points for the hand, or a suit ranking picks a single winner. The ranking is, from highest: hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs. Under that rule a straight ending in the king of spades beats one ending in the king of diamonds.