Criss-Cross Super Hold'em is a double-board Hold'em variant played with 3 hole cards. Two independent 5-card community boards are dealt side by side. At showdown, each player chooses one of two ways to build their best 5-card hand — pick one board using 0, 1, or 2 hole cards, or go big with all 3 hole cards and form a cross.
Watch a Sample Hand
Hero holds A♠ K♦ 3♣ and uses 2 hole cards + Board 1 to make an ace-high straight.
POT: $30
BOARD 1
BOARD 2
YOU (Hero)
A-HIGH STRAIGHT · WIN!
Player 2
Player 3
Step 0 of 5
Ready to Deal
Press Next Step to begin dealing the sample hand.
The Double Community Board
Two independent 5-card boards are dealt simultaneously, each following standard Hold'em streets:
Flop: 3 cards on each board (6 total); SB acts first
Turn: 1 card on each board (2 total); SB acts first
River: 1 card on each board (2 total); SB acts first
Hand Construction
You hold 3 hole cards and must use one of two options at showdown:
Option A — Single Board (0, 1, or 2 hole cards): Choose one board and build your best 5-card hand using any 0, 1, or 2 of your hole cards with cards from that board. Hold'em rules apply — the board fills the rest. You may not mix cards from both boards.
Option B — Form the Cross (all 3 hole cards): Use all 3 hole cards plus exactly 2 community cards that share the same column — one card from Board 1 and the card directly below it on Board 2. The five valid column pairs are positions 1&6, 2&7, 3&8, 4&9, or 5&10.
Under Option A you commit to a single board — you cannot pull community cards from both boards at once. The only way to reach across both boards is Option B's column pair (all 3 hole cards + one Board 1 card and the card directly below it on Board 2).
Strategy Tips
Two live boards means two chances to connect — if one board misses you completely, the other may still deliver
Option B (3 holes + column pair) rewards very strong hole card combinations — three high cards or a near-complete hand that just needs one vertical column to complete it
The 0-hole-card rule in Option A means a premium board can win all by itself without any help from your hand
With 3 hole cards instead of 2, you have more blocker power — you are more likely to hold key cards that opponents need
Watch column alignment at the flop — if both boards share a rank in the same position (e.g., both column 3 cards pair up), Option B hands suddenly become very powerful
