Author: Dmitry «Dima Button» Volkov, Head of Dealers at NUTS
Published: September 2026
Russian poker is the format many of us knew before online: five cards, you vs the dealer, no community cards. In NUTS on PPPoker it runs 24/7. I dealt live in Sochi and now make sure online hands run cleanly. Here is how to play and what to watch for.
How it differs from hold'em
In hold'em you battle other players for a shared board. In Russian poker your only opponent is the dealer. You get five closed cards, decide fold/bet/exchange, then the dealer shows. No multi-way pots — just you, the dealer, and math.
Rules in NUTS
- Ante — mandatory bet; you receive 5 cards.
- Action — fold, bet, exchange 1–5 cards, or buy a 6th card for another ante.
- Dealer — 5 cards, one revealed. Hand counts only if dealer qualifies with Ace-King or better.
- Showdown — beat the qualified dealer hand to win per the pay table.
- No game — if dealer fails to qualify, you keep bets and get an ante bonus.
Typical pay table
| Hand | Pay |
| Pair | 1:1 |
| Two pair | 2:1 |
| Trips | 3:1 |
| Straight | 4:1 |
| Flush | 5:1 |
| Full house | 7:1 |
| Quads | 20:1 |
| Straight flush | 50:1 |
Basic strategy
Play pairs and up. Scattered low cards without ace or king — fold. Ante eats bankroll fast.
Sixth card is not a lottery. Buy it with four to a flush or straight, not on gutshots.
Ace-King rule helps you. Even a medium pair can win when the dealer does not qualify.
Find tables
Join club 111777 in PPPoker and open the Russian poker lobby. Not a member yet? See How to join NUTS in 5 minutes. Deposits: @NUTSsup or @NUTS111777_bot.
Good luck at the table. And please do not ask why blinds did not go up at 03:17 — I sleep too. Almost.