​ POWER POKER BASEBALL COMPLETE RULE TEXT

                                                                                                                             

OBJECT OF THE GAME

Score the most runs after 9 innings or become the first player to reach 20 runs. If 2 or more players are tied after 9 innings all players are still in the game. The first player to take a sole lead after a complete inning wins the game. The Mercy Rule remains in effect during extra innings and immediately ends the game at 20 runs.

 

GAME ITEMS

• 1 baseball field game mat

• 1 deck of playing cards

• 1 dealer play action card

• 1 inning marker

• 1 outs marker

• 1 rally outs marker

• 3 matching base runner chips per player

• 1 Bet-to-Win chip per player

• scoresheet​

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NOTE:

• Runners are not removed from the bases between innings.

• Runners are only removed from the bases at the start of extra innings.

• A player can only occupy one base at a time with one of their game chips.

• Outs are counted with a wood marker on the red bars, to the right of home plate.

• Rally outs are counted with a wood marker on the blue bars, to the left of home plate.

• Innings 1–9 are counted with a wood marker on the black infield circles, on the game mat.

• A high card draw determines the first dealer.

• Dealing always goes in clockwise rotation.

• The player that wins the hand always gets the next deal, otherwise the deal progresses in clockwise rotation.

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COACH'S TWO-CARD CALL

• Every hand begins the same way. First, the dealer places one Rally Reveal card face down on the Pitcher's Mound. The dealer then deals two face-down cards to every player.

• Starting with the player to the dealer's left and continuing clockwise, each player may either pass or choose to make the Coach's Two-Card Call. Once one player makes a call, the opportunity is over for all other players, and play continues.

• The player has four possible choices.

• If first base is completely empty, they may Bunt to First, but only if they hold any Ace, or are willing to bluff that they do.

• They may Pick Off any one opponent's runner from any base, but only if they hold any Ace, or are willing to bluff that they do.

• If they have a runner on first or second base, they may attempt to Steal a Base, but only if they hold any Ace, or are willing to bluff that they do.

• If they have a runner on third base, they may attempt to Steal Home, but only if they hold the Ace of Spades, or are willing to bluff that they do.

• Any player at the table may challenge the call.

• If the caller reveals the required Ace, the challenger discards one selected hand-held card face down underneath the Dealer Play Action Card.

• If the caller was bluffing, the caller discards one hand-held card face down underneath the Dealer Play Action Card instead.

• A failed Bunt to First has no effect, and normal play continues.

• A failed Steal a Base or Steal Home removes the stealing runner from the base, making every steal a calculated risk.

• Once the Coach's Two-Card Call has been resolved, play continues with the Dealer Scoring Flop.

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DEALER SCORING FLOP

• The dealer reveals 3 community cards slowly from left to right.

• Only the dealer scores during the flop according to the run scoring chart.

• Any King immediately stops further dealer scoring, although all 3 cards are still revealed.

• 3 red numbered cards during the Dealer Scoring Flop create a Table Strikeout. The hand is over.

• Any matched pair of numbered cards (2–10 only) during the Dealer Scoring Flop creates a Double Play. The hand is over, 2 outs occur and the next dealer is skipped over.

• If both a Double Play and Table Strikeout occur simultaneously, the Double Play always takes precedence.

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RUN CARDS PLAY

• After the Dealer Scoring Flop, each player in clockwise rotation chooses one action.

• CHECK

• Remain in the hand and attempt to win the poker hand.

• FOLD TO SCORE

• Fold out of the hand and receive 2 face-up potential scoring cards from the dealer.

• Only Aces and picture cards score.

• If the first Fold-to-Score card is a King:

• the second card is not dealt

• no score is received

• Folded players are immediately out of the hand.

• BET TO WIN

• Place your Bet-to-Win chip into the Bet-to-Win location on the game mat.

• If the player wins the hand:they immediately reveal the Rally Play card

• If the player loses the hand:they become benched for the next hand

• Once Bet-to-Win is declared:no further actions may be taken by that player

• A player may not Bet to Win if all remaining active players have already folded out of the hand.

• This may be used strategically by defensive-minded players to prevent Rally attempts.

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SLIDE CARD PLAY

• The 4th community card (Slide Card) is revealed.

• Each remaining player again chooses one action.

• CHECK

• Remain in the hand and attempt to win the poker hand.

• FOLD TO SCORE

• Fold out of the hand and receive 1 face-up potential scoring card from the dealer.

• Only Aces and picture cards score.

• If the Fold-to-Score card is a King:

• no score is received

• Folded players are immediately out of the hand.

• BET TO WIN

• Place your Bet-to-Win chip into the Bet-to-Win location on the game mat.

• If the player wins the hand:

•  they immediately reveal the Rally Play card

• If the player loses the hand:

• they become benched for the next hand

• Once Bet-to-Win is declared:no further actions may be taken by that player

• A player may not Bet to Win if all remaining active players have already folded out of the hand.

• This may be used strategically by defensive-minded players to prevent Rally attempts.​

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TAG CARD PLAY

• The final 5th community card (Tag Card) is revealed.

• Remaining players choose:

• Check

• Bet to Win

• Fold to Score is no longer available.

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WINNING THE HAND

• The best 5-card poker hand wins. See the Winning Hand Chart on the game mat.

• The winning player advances runners according to the Winning Hand Chart.

• Players who did not Bet to Win cannot attempt Rally Play.

• Players who Bet to Win and lose become benched players for the next hand and place their Bet-to-Win chip into the bench player area on the game mat.

• Tied hands are resolved by next high-card dealer reveals with Ace being the highest card. Tied reveals continue until a winner is determined.

• Players who win the hand get the next deal, otherwise the deal continues in clockwise rotation.​

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BENCHED PLAYERS

• Benched players:

• miss the next hand

• cannot deal

• return at the end of the next completed hand, including any Rally Play

• If all but one player is benched:

• the remaining player immediately receives a runner to first base

• all benched players return immediately

• Dealing to a benched player is an error and the deal moves to the next eligible player.

• Bench players may still participate in Relief Pitcher calls from the dugout.

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TABLE BALK: When all players are benched but one, a table balk occurs. The remaining player gets one base runner to first base. ​

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ATTEMPTING RALLY PLAY 

• Before each hand begins, the dealer places 1 Rally Play card face down onto the Bet-to-Win location on the game mat.

• If a Bet-to-Win player wins the hand, the Rally Play card is immediately revealed:

• Any Ace except Ace of Spades = Rally Play

• Any picture card = Rally Play

• Ace of Spades = Triple Play

• All other cards = no Rally Play

• After resolving the Rally Play card: discard the Rally Play card face up 

• the dealer places a new Rally Play card face down before the next hand begins

• Optional Choice Rule:

• Players may allow 2 reveal cards instead of 1 for higher-scoring games

• Dealer places face down at center of game mat one Rally Play Reveal card before each hand begins. Two, if agreed to by all players for a higher scoring game. Get rally on first card...second card is void (no flip). 

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TRIPLE PLAY

• If the Rally Play card revealed during an Attempt to Rally is the Ace of Spades:

• the current hand immediately ends

• the outs marker advances by 3 more outs on the game mat

• the next 2 dealers are skipped

• This may immediately end the game during the 9th inning or extra innings unless tied.

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RALLY PLAY

• Rally Play begins after a successful Rally Play card reveal.

• The Rally player:

• receives 1 face-up card at a time

• verbally says “Pitch” to continue

• see the Run Scoring Chart on the game mat

• records Rally outs on the left-hand side blue bars of the game mat

• Balls and strikes reset after every hit, walk, or out.

• 3 red numbered cards = Strikeout

• 4 black numbered cards = Walk

• Jacks = Single

• Queens = Double

• Any Ace = Triple

• Ace of Spades = Home Run

• A King during Rally Play counts only as an out.

• Runners are automatically forced around the bases.

• Rally Play ends after 3 Rally outs.

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TAKE RULE

• A Rally player may say “Take” up to 3 times during a Rally.

• Take cards:

• do not count

• are discarded face up to a separate Take card area for viewing

• A player must verbally say “Take” before the next card is revealed.

• The dealer should not reveal the next card until the Rally player verbally calls either:

• “Pitch”
  or

• “Take”

• Take calls may be used at any time during Rally Play.

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RELIEF PITCHER

• A Relief Pitcher may only be called when a Rally player has a runner on 2nd base and/or 3rd base.

• The Relief Pitcher immediately remains active until either:

• the next out occurs before a run score
  or

• a run scores before an out occurs

• If the out occurs first:

• the Rally immediately ends

• If the run scores first:

• the Relief Pitcher fails

• the Rally continues

• Each player receives 2 Relief Pitchers per game, recorded on the scoresheet.

• The same player may not call for a Relief Pitcher twice during the same Rally.

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DOUBLE PLAY

• A Double Play occurs only during the Dealer Scoring Flop when any matched pair of numbered cards (2–10 only) appears on the flop.

• the hand immediately ends

• 2 outs occur

• the next dealer is skipped

• all benched players return

• Double Plays always take precedence.

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TABLE STRIKEOUT

• 3 red numbered cards during the Dealer Scoring Flop create a Table Strikeout.

• the hand immediately ends

• all benched players return

• play moves to the next hand

• If both a Double Play and Table Strikeout occur simultaneously, the Double Play always takes precedence.

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TABLE WALK

• A Table Walk occurs immediately when 4 black numbered cards appear among the 4 or 5 community cards shown during the hand.

• Walks are awarded in clockwise order beginning left of the dealer, with the dealer receiving the final walk.

• All active players except folded and benched players:

• immediately receive a runner to first base

• advance runners normally

• score immediately if forced home

• A player receiving a walk may immediately win the game if:

• the Mercy Rule is reached
  or

• the walk creates a sole winning lead during the 3rd out of the 9th inning or extra innings.

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PINCH HITTER

• During the 9th inning only, the dealer may call for a Pinch Hitter before cards are dealt.

• The dealer and selected Pinch Hitter must both currently have runners occupying the same base.

• Both players receive 3 hand-held cards instead of 2 and otherwise continue normal play.

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GUARD THE PLATE

• Guard the Plate (9th Inning Only) One call per hand:

• During any hand in the 9th inning, a player holding a sole lead may fold out of the hand and place their Bet-to-Win chip onto Home Plate. The call can be made out of turn, at will, at any time but must be called prior to the play-action that brings in the tying run. Guard the Plate remains active for the remainder of the hand and may only be initiated once per hand. Whenever the last run to score after a single, double, or triple would create a tie, that run must be challenged by a dealer reveal card:

• black = run scores, remove the Guard the Plate chip from Home Plate, and play continues normally

• red = runner is thrown out at the plate and the hand immediately ends for all players

• Home runs automatically bypass Guard the Plate and are not challenged.

• Guard the plate can only be used during the hand not after the hand ends or in rally play.

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EXTRA INNINGS

• If 2 or more players are tied for the lead after 9 innings:

• all runners are removed from the bases

• all benched players return

• a new deal order is determined

• The first player holding a sole lead after a complete inning wins the game.

• If still tied:

• another complete inning is played

• Play continues until one player holds a sole lead after a completed inning.

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PLAYING FOR THE TABLE: ​​

• A player who scores one or more runs during a hand may choose to award any number of those runs to one player or divide them among multiple players.

• Awarded runs may originate from any scoring event.

• Awarded runs must be distributed immediately as each run scores.

• Awarded runs may not create a tie for the highest score at the table or give any receiving player the lead. After each awarded run is distributed, the receiving player must remain at least 1 run behind the highest score at the table.

• Playing for the Table is optional.

• Runs may be given during Rally Play scoring as they occur.

• Players trailing in score may strategically work together through Rally scoring and Playing for the Table to create close to a tie game to force extra innings.

• Strong leading players may become targets of collective defensive table strategy, creating shifting alliances and changing game momentum throughout the later innings.

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WINNING HAND CHART

• The highest standard 5-card poker hand wins.

• Highest hand to lowest hand ranking:

• Royal Flush = Home Run

• Straight Flush = Home Run

• 4 of a Kind = Home Run

• Full House = Home Run

• Flush = Home Run

• Straight = Home Run

• 3 of a Kind = Triple

• 2 Pair = Double

• 1 Pair = Single

• High Card = Single

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​RUN SCORING CHART

• Ace of Spades = Home Run

• Any Ace = Triple

• King = 1 Out

• Queen = Double

• Jack = Single

• Red numbered cards = Strikes

• Black numbered cards = Balls

• All runners are forced around the bases automatically.

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HELPFUL REMINDERS

• Move outs after Rally Play ends.

• Kings stop next Dealer Scoring and next Fold-to-Score scoring.

• Only dealing to a benched player is considered an error.

• Play slowly until players learn the flow.

• Players may start in the 7th inning for shorter games.

• Dealer places one new Rally Play Reveal card before each hand begins. Two, if agreed to by all players for a higher scoring game. Get rally on first card...second card is void (no flip). 

• RALLY FOR THE WIN! ENJOY THE GAME!​​​​​