The Stand Up Game is a side bet played during a regular poker session where every player at the table starts standing up. The rules are simple: win a hand and you get to sit down. The last player left standing pays a pre-agreed bounty to every other player at the table.
Popularized by live poker streams like The Lodge Card Club in Austin, Texas and Hustler Casino Live, the Stand Up Game has become one of the most entertaining additions to cash games in recent years. It creates extra action, encourages aggression, and adds tension to every single hand, even the small ones, because nobody wants to be the last person on their feet.
How the Stand Up Game Works
Before the round starts, all players at the table agree on a bounty amount, typically between two and ten big blinds per player. Then everyone stands up next to their seat and normal poker resumes.
- Win a hand , you sit down and you’re safe. You cannot be forced to stand again.
- Seated players keep playing normally. Winning more pots does nothing extra for them, they’re already safe.
- Chops don’t count , a split pot means nobody gets to sit.
- Last player standing pays the agreed bounty to every other player at the table. Then the game resumes as normal.
Example: Stand Up Game at $2/$5
Eight players agree on a $50 bounty. Everyone stands up.
Hand 1: Player A wins the pot, sits down. Seven players still standing.
Hand 2: Player B steals the blinds, sits down. Six still standing.
Eventually, Player H is the only one left standing. Player H pays $50 to each of the other seven players ($350 total), then takes a seat and the session continues normally.
Stand Up Game vs. Nit Game
The Nit Game is the seated version of the Stand Up Game, invented by The Lodge Card Club as a practical alternative for rooms where physically standing is difficult. Instead of standing, each player gets a “NIT” button in front of them. Win a hand, return your button to the dealer. Last player with a NIT button pays the bounty.
The rules and strategy are identical, only the physical format changes. Many home game players prefer the Nit Game for its simplicity, while the original Stand Up format remains popular on live streams for the visual entertainment of watching players literally on their feet.
Stand Up Game Strategy
The side bet changes the incentives at the table in meaningful ways, especially as the field thins out.
Play more aggressively when still standing
Every hand is an opportunity to sit down. Players who are still standing have a strong incentive to get involved in pots they might otherwise fold, including stealing blinds and making light calls. The bounty penalty makes folding costly when you’re one of the last few standing.
Sitting down early is a real advantage
Once you’re seated, you can play your normal game without the pressure of the side bet. You can fold freely, wait for good spots, and watch as the standing players battle each other. The incentive gap between seated and standing players grows as the game progresses.
When two or three players are left standing
This is where the Stand Up Game gets wild. Each remaining standing player is desperate to win a pot, which means they’ll open wider, call lighter, and bluff more. If you’re seated, tighten up and let them fight. If you’re standing, pick your spots carefully, a well-timed steal against other standing players is often the fastest path to safety.
Chops are cold comfort
Since chops don’t count, a split pot gives you nothing toward sitting down. This is particularly brutal in shorthanded spots where chops are more frequent. Factor this in when deciding whether to run it twice or accept a chop deal.
Pro Tip: If you’re one of the last players standing and everyone else is seated, your opponents have no direct incentive to help you sit down, but they also have every reason to call your bluffs lightly, since losing the pot costs them nothing extra. Bluff carefully in this spot.
Hear It at the Table
Key Takeaway
The Stand Up Game is a simple side bet that adds big energy to any poker session: everyone stands, win a hand to sit down, last player standing pays. It rewards aggression, punishes passivity, and turns even a routine $15 steal into a moment worth celebrating.
