ten-pin poker

Ten Pin Poker is played just like Regulation Ten Pin Bowling. Additionally, for each strike or spare the player gets a card (an operator adjustment can restrict cards to strikes only to increase the level of challenge). Each player can have up to five cards. At the end of the game the player with the best poker hand winds.

The Rules and Scoring

Scoring is just like Regulation Ten Pin. Additionally, players are awarded a card for each mark. If a player already has five cards, he or she must discard before drawing a new card. The player may opt to stand. As the game progresses a marker on the score sheet will indicate the player or players with the high hand. Hands are ranked using standard poker rules:

1. straight flush - a straight, all of the same suit. The Royal Flush is the highest possible hand (10-J-Q-K-A, all the same suit)
2. four of a kind - four cards of the same rank
3. full house - a pair and three of a kind
4. flush - five cards of same suit
5. straight - five cards whose rank are sequential. Ace may be high or low but not both (can't wrap, like Q-K-A-2-3)
6. three of a kind - three cards of the same rank
7. two pairs
8. pair - two cards of the same rank
9. high card

Suits are equivalent, so if two players have hands of the same rank which differ only by suit those hands are considered equivalent.