Polish Poker: The Complete Guide to This Fun Golf Card Game

Despite its name, Polish Poker isn't actually poker at all—it's a popular variant of the Golf card game that's perfect for family gatherings and casual game nights. This fast-paced, easy-to-learn game combines memory, strategy, and a bit of luck.

What is Polish Poker?

Polish Poker is a card game where players try to achieve the lowest score possible, just like in golf. The game is sometimes called "Golf," "Polish Golf," or simply "6-Card Golf" depending on the region. Unlike traditional poker, there's no betting involved—instead, players compete over multiple rounds (typically 9 or 18, like holes in golf) to finish with the lowest total score.

The game works with 2-6 players using one or two standard 52-card decks. Each player receives cards face down in a grid formation and must strategically swap cards to reduce their total point value. The catch? You can't see most of your cards until the round ends.

Polish Poker gained popularity in Polish-American communities and spread throughout the Midwest United States. Today, it's enjoyed worldwide as an accessible alternative to more complex card games.

Game Setup

Setting up Polish Poker is straightforward and takes just a minute or two:

• Players: 2-6 players (4 players is ideal)
• Cards: One standard 52-card deck for 2-4 players; two decks shuffled together for 5-6 players
• Deal: Each player receives 6 cards dealt face down in a 2×3 grid (2 rows of 3 cards)
• Starting peek: Each player secretly looks at their two bottom corner cards (without showing others), then places them back face down
• Draw pile: Place remaining cards face down in the center as the draw pile
• Discard pile: Flip the top card of the draw pile face up to start the discard pile

Some variations use a 4-card (2×2) or 8-card (2×4) layout. The 6-card version is most common for Polish Poker and offers the best balance of strategy and game length.

Rules & Gameplay

Polish Poker is played in turns, moving clockwise around the table. On your turn, you have two options:

Option 1: Draw from the deck

• Take the top card from the draw pile and look at it (keep it hidden from others)
• Either swap it with one of your 6 cards (the replaced card goes to the discard pile face up), or discard the drawn card immediately

Option 2: Take the discard

• Take the top card from the discard pile
• You must swap it with one of your 6 cards—you cannot discard it back

Important rules:

• When you swap a card, turn the new card face up in your grid
• Face-up cards stay visible for the rest of the round
• You cannot look at your face-down cards during the game (rely on memory)
• If two cards in the same column have matching values, they cancel out to zero points

Ending the round:

When a player believes they have the lowest score, they "knock" by tapping the table instead of taking their turn. All other players get one final turn, then everyone flips their remaining face-down cards. The player with the lowest score wins the round.

If the player who knocked doesn't have the lowest score, they receive a penalty of 10 extra points added to their score.

Scoring System

Polish Poker scoring rewards low cards and penalizes high ones. Remember: lower is better, just like golf!

• Ace: 1 point
• 2: -2 points (negative—this is the best card!)
• 3-10: Face value (3 = 3 points, 10 = 10 points)
• Jack: 10 points
• Queen: 10 points
• King: 0 points
• Joker (if used): -5 points

Column matching bonus: When two cards in the same column have the same rank (like two 7s or two Jacks stacked vertically), both cards count as 0 points. This is a powerful scoring opportunity—always aim to create matches when possible.

After each round, record everyone's score. Play 9 or 18 rounds (like golf holes), then add up all the scores. The player with the lowest total wins the game.

Winning Strategy Tips

Polish Poker might seem luck-based, but skilled players consistently outperform beginners. Here are proven strategies to lower your scores:

• Memorize your hidden cards: This is crucial. You peek at two cards at the start—remember them! Many players forget what they have and accidentally swap good cards for worse ones.
• Prioritize column matches: Creating a column match cancels out both cards (0 points total). Even matching two 10s is better than having a 3 and a 4 in separate columns.
• Hunt for 2s and Kings: 2s give you -2 points, and Kings give 0 points. These are your best cards. Never discard them unless you're creating a column match.
• Watch the discard pile: Pay attention to what opponents discard and pick up. If someone grabs a 5, they likely have something worse (6-10) in that position.
• Replace high cards first: Target your face-down cards in spots where you remember having high values. A blind swap on an unknown card is risky.
• Know when to knock: Don't knock too early—you need confidence your score is lowest. But don't wait too long or opponents will improve their hands. A score around 5-10 is typically safe to knock.
• Track opponent progress: Count face-up cards in opponents' grids. If someone has mostly low cards visible, they're likely close to knocking.
• Use the discard pile strategically: Sometimes taking a mediocre card from the discard is better than risking a blind draw. A 5 you can see beats an unknown draw that might be a Queen.

Practice these strategies over several games, and you'll see consistent improvement in your scores. The best Polish Poker players combine sharp memory with calculated risk-taking.