AboutChris Expertise I am a professional poker player and game theory expert. I can answer almost any question related to poker, from your local home game to winning big tournaments or playing at a casino. I am the head cash game instructor at pokerxfactor.com, and I run a site for poker coaches at http://www.foxpoker.com, give lessons (I'm usually booked at least two weeks ahead of time) and I know a little about the online poker affiliate business as well.
Experience I've been playing poker for a living for 4 years, and have written about the subject extensively. I have sold articles to places like twoplustwo.com and Deal magazine, and I write a monthly column called The Online Fox in Poker Pro Magazine and Poker Pro Europe. I run a poker magazine at www.blindstraddle.com and a rakeback site at www.pokerwhip.com.
Education/Credentials I've read the books, talked to the old timers, and done my time at the tables. That's all the education a poker player gets. I own over 100 poker books and have read them all at least once.
Awards and Honors "Best Article" award on pocketfives.com for 2005 for my bankroll management article. All my other "awards" have been in cash, and I've already spent them. Poker isn't about trophies, it's about money.
Many major tournament wins online.
Past/Present clients Too many to list. I run http://wwwfoxpoker.com I also work for PokerXFactor.com as a consultant and fixed-limit Hold Em expert.
Question In a 7 card stud game, with wild cards, who wins when I have a flush made with one wild card, Queen high, against another flush, two wild cards, ten high? My opponent took the pot saying since he had two wild cards, he wins. I say highest natural in the flush wins, which would be me since I had the queen.
Answer This is an inherent problem with playing kitchen table type games. There are no clear rules and every house has different rules about different games. My suggestion, as always with this type of question, is to switch your game to include only "casino" style poker games like Hold'em Omaha, Razz, Stud, draw, Badugi, and Pineapple. The rules for these games are clear and there is never a disagreement over who won a pot once you understand the clearly laid out rules. Now on to your question.
Typically the highest flush wins, and he can make a flush, including his two wilds, which starts with ace-king, while with your one wild card and your queen, you can only make an ace-queen flush. However... Some people who play with wild cards say that a natural hand always beats a wild card hand if they are the same, and some houses would even apply that to flushes that aren't exactly equal.
So if your house has no rules posted or agreed upon for this situation you can either have a non-involved player rule on the issue, or you can split the pot. The more you play games with wild cards and strange rules, the more hassle you will have. Do yourselves a favor and run a weekly hold'em tournament that turns in to a cash game that only allows casino style games to be called and you will enjoy poker a lot more.
