Strip Poker: Clothing and Easy-to-Follow Rules
What is “strip poker” meaning and what are the rules? There’s no concrete definition; this game involves different types of poker like Texas hold ‘em, Omaha, and 5-card draw. It’s a co-ed game, but it used to be a way for freshmen at universities to embarrass each other.
According to a Yale University researcher, the original game was quite different. Freshmen at the university learned about strip poker in 1906, when they met singers from a comic-opera company. In this first version of the game, the young men would compete at the poker table, with a female teammate watching. If the gents lost the hand, their team member would remove an article of clothing.
The Rules Of Strip Poker
This is a fun poker game with friends that has no strict definition. As long as strip poker is played by consenting adults, it’s legal in most countries. It works for large groups of players, but it’s not easy if you’re alone.
There are some easy-to-follow rules that you need to know first.
1. Make sure everyone has a similar amount of clothing.
Jewelry, watches, and hats shouldn’t be included. Keep things simple and use:
- Shirts
- Socks
- Shoes
- Trousers/Pants
- Sweaters
2. Decide how the clothing will be won and lost.
Generally, losers remove a piece of clothing and winners can put things back on.
If you have poker chips or coins to use, the losers of a hand remove a piece of clothing and give it to the winner. Every time someone loses a hand, they remove one item of clothing. If someone loses their stack of chips, you can decide the penalty.
The other way to play is by using the clothing as a kind of ante. It’s best to play 5-card draw poker if you want to play without poker chips.
3. Decide what happens when someone has lost the game of strip poker. When all the clothes are gone, it’s fun to allow a “clothing rebuy” of some kind. Maybe they can choose “truth or dare” or you can allow everyone to get a few pieces back if they lose their chips.
4. Chat about the limits with your friends. There’s a reason the game is called strip poker and not mostly-strip poker, but you should still avoid making anyone feel embarrassed. Traditionally, losers are left with nothing, but that’s up to you and your friends.
If you’re invited to play strip poker, make sure you know which type of poker it is.
How To Play Strip Poker With Chips
We’ll use Texas hold ‘em for our example since most people are familiar with the rules. You can apply the same outline to other poker games, like Omaha or short deck.
Texas Hold ‘Em Strip Poker:
- Choose a dealer and begin a standard hand of hold ‘em poker. Players post the big blind and small blind, then everyone gets two cards.
- Play normally, dealing the flop, turn, and river cards after each betting round. If players remain at the showdown, decide on a winner.
- Any player that folds or loses at showdown removes one item of clothing.
- The winner collects the clothing, which they can use to pay if they lose a hand. Give the poker chips a value. If a player loses all of their chips, decide how many articles of clothing they need to remove.
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Check out all of the other ways you can play poker with friends.
How To Play Strip Poker With No Poker Chips
If you don’t have poker chips, you can still play strip poker. Play a poker game where every player pays a single ante for each hand. The ante represents one piece of clothing and there’s no betting during the poker hand.
The easiest type of poker to play if you don’t have chips is a modified 5-card draw. If you need to check the rules for 5-card draw, we’ve got a simple guide.
5-Card Draw Strip Poker:
- Select a dealer and give each player five cards.
- When everyone has looked at their hand combination, it's time for a drawing round.
- Each player can exchange any number of their cards or none at all.
- You can add extra drawing rounds if you want to add some excitement!
- Time to flip the cards over and have a showdown! The winning player collects the articles of clothing from the losing players. For a great poker experience without taking your clothes off, check out GGPoker. They have more fun features and rewards than most poker sites, plus new players get a warm welcome bonus. Playing poker enters you into reward leaderboards and huge daily $100,000 flip tournaments. Check out the full range of games and stakes in our review.
Where Can You Play Strip Poker?
You’ll have to organize strip poker yourself because your local casino isn’t going to start hosting games. The living room at home is the perfect place, but make sure to draw the curtains! If you organize online home games, maybe you connect webcams for a long-distance game of strip poker.
GetWPT is another place you can get friends together at the same tables. Control the stakes, speed, seats available, and more options. When everything’s ready, send out invites for your private hold ‘em and Omaha cash games.
Everyone owns a smartphone these days. Mobile poker free apps let you play anywhere, but they are different from poker sites. You play against clubs of players and you can even start your own group of players. Check out the full list of poker clubs right here.