Anaconda Rules
Anaconda — better known as Pass the Trash — is a classic seven-card home game built around a simple, wicked idea: you get to hand your worst cards to the player beside you. Each player is dealt seven cards, passes unwanted cards to a neighbor over one or more rounds, then trims down to a best five-card hand that is revealed one card at a time. The best five-card poker hand wins.
A quick caveat on rules
Anaconda is a dealer-choice home game, not a standardized casino variant, so the specifics vary from table to table — how many passing rounds there are, which direction cards pass, whether the final five are rolled one at a time or simply shown, and whether the pot plays high-only or high-low. The rules below describe the fullest common version. Always confirm the house rules before the first deal.
The objective
Build the best five-card poker hand from the seven cards you end up holding — which is not the same seven you were dealt. Half the skill is choosing which cards to keep and which to pass away, and reading what your neighbors were forced to give you and what they chose to keep.
How a hand plays out
Deal seven and bet
Every player receives seven cards face down. A first betting round takes place before any cards change hands, so players act on their raw seven-card holding.
Pass three, then two, then one
In the full version there are three passing rounds. Each player selects three cards and passes them to the left, all at the same time, then a betting round follows. Next comes a pass of two cards and betting, then a pass of one card and betting. Many tables shorten this to a single pass of three.
Discard to five, then roll em
Once passing is done, each player discards down to their best five cards. Players then expose those cards one at a time, with a betting round between each card revealed. When all five are face up, the best five-card poker hand takes the pot.
Popular variants
Single pass vs. three passes
The traditional game uses three passing rounds of three, then two, then one card. Faster tables play a single pass of three cards and go straight to the roll. Fewer passes means less shuffling of the deck between players and a quicker hand.
Direction of the pass
Passing to the left is most common, but some tables pass to the right and others pass across the table. The direction decides who receives your discards, so it changes both strategy and table talk.
Roll-em vs. straight showdown, and Hi-Lo
Some tables skip the roll-em phase and simply reveal all five cards at once for a single showdown. Others add a Hi-Lo declaration, splitting the pot between the best high hand and the best qualifying low, with players declaring which way they are going.
A worked example
Dana is dealt A♠ A♦ K♠ 7♣ 4♥ 3♠ 2♦. Her pair of aces is promising, but the seven, four, three, and two do nothing for her.
On the first pass she keeps her two aces and the king and passes away the 7♣, 4♥, and 2♦ to the player on her left. From the player on her right she receives K♦, K♥, and 5♠.
Those two kings pair with her king, so Dana now holds aces and kings — two pair, drawing toward a full house — a huge improvement on the weak cards she shipped away. She keeps her best five for the roll.
Tips for the home game
Anaconda rewards patience over the passing rounds: a mediocre seven can become a monster once you receive the right cards, so do not commit too many chips before the passes are done. Watch what your neighbors keep — if the player on your right is hoarding hearts, the flush cards you were hoping for may never arrive. Above all, settle the house rules — number of passes, direction, roll-em or not, high-only or Hi-Lo — out loud before the deal, so no one is surprised at showdown.
Frequently asked questions
What is Anaconda in poker?
Anaconda, also called Pass the Trash, is a home-game poker variant. Each player is dealt seven cards face down, passes unwanted cards to a neighbor over one or more rounds, then discards down to a best five-card hand. The exposed cards are revealed one at a time with betting between each in the "roll-em" phase.
How does the passing work?
In the fullest version there are three passes. After the first betting round each player selects three cards and passes them to the player on their left, all at the same time. A betting round follows, then a pass of two cards, betting, then a pass of one card, and betting. Many tables play just a single pass of three cards instead.
What is the roll-em phase?
After passing, each player discards down to their best five cards. They then turn those cards face up one at a time, with a betting round between each card exposed. This drip-feed of information is where much of the action and bluffing happens. When all five are up, the best five-card poker hand wins.
Which direction do you pass the cards?
Most commonly to the left, but this is a house-rule detail. Some tables pass to the right, and some pass across the table. Agree on the direction and the number of passing rounds before the deal, because they change the game significantly.
Can Anaconda be played high-low?
Yes. A popular version is Hi-Lo, where players declare for high, low, or both before or during the showdown and the pot is split between the best high hand and the best qualifying low. As always in a dealer-choice game, confirm the declaration method the table uses.
Related games
Informational only — this guide explains how the game is played and doesn't mean it's offered on Salty Poker.