New Poker Game Waiting to be Proved Legal in United States

Shawn Riley is an entrepreneur from Wichita, Kansas who has created a new poker game. The game is called Kandu and is awaiting a patent. The game is to be inspected by the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission and hopefully will be declared legal.

Kandu is played like Texas Hold’em or Omaha the Hi/Lo version and involves betting. Players pay six dollars to play a half hour of Kandu and the minimum buy-in is $50. Riley has stated the game is legal because they have eliminated the “chance” aspect.

Riley stated: "...The difference between Kandu and poker is the 'flash,' a two- or three-second glimpse of the shuffled deck that each player gets as the dealer fans every card in the deck face up across the table before the cut and deal. After the cut the bottom card in the deck is also exposed. The idea is that skilled players can spot their own cards, the flop cards and other vital clues like where the aces are hiding.

"...There's a few other differences to the game, including the terminology. Each hand is a "challenge" that any player can opt out of after seeing the cards and before paying the "entry fee," formerly known as the ante. There are no blinds, but betting, raising and checking proceeds as normal. The winner wins a 'purse,' formerly known as the pot,” also stated Riley.

Riley with the help of partners has opened Highland Gastropub and Card room. For the last month, the card room has had four tables devoted to the game of Kandu and since then there has been a waiting list of people wanting to play the game.

Riley also teamed up with Kurt McPhail in 2003 to found the World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League. The League has 150,000 members and if deemed legal then they can play Kandu in their Poker League. Riley also wants to replicate the Highland Card room and license the Kandu game.