Hi, I have designed my own Poker Card game, called "Hit the Deck!", which is a thematic play of words, since the Cards you place faceup on the 3x3 grid map, are supposed to represent Ships, and both players (there's only 1v1) draw from the same Deck. And just like following the nautical theme, "hit the deck" is a slang term used by sailors to "rise from bed."

The game itself has similarities with MOBA, where you push towards the opponent's row, and there's a sort of tug-of-war, and back-and-forth between the Ships on both sides. That said, as you can see, the game is playable without anything else other than a set of Poker Cards; all that's needed to play is a standard set of poker cards and the rules.

So the plan is this: I will post my rules for the game here, for anybody interested to try it out, and I will also add an option to donate to my PayPal account. I am not sure if I got it right, but here's my PayPal email address: calixtus.ashley@hotmail.com. Do note in this thread if you do donate, so I can keep track!

The money donated will go into creating custom art and an actual 3x3 grid playmat, in a future product, that costs approximately SGD$60, unless you guys feel it is too high, and are willing to pay for it if it is lower.

Here are the rules:

Hit the Deck!

A 2 Player abstraction of a Ship Battling game using a standard 52 Poker Card Deck of Cards. Poker Hands are resolved as 3-Card Poker. Playable with Optional Rules which bring the game to a whole nother level.

Components
1 Rulebook
3x3 Sea Grid Map
56 Poker Cards Deck
1 Anchor Active Player Token

Objective - If one Captain (Player) Occupies all Seazones (Spaces or Areas) of their Enemy's Portside, they win the game. If the Deck of Cards runs out, the Captain who Occupies the most Enemy Lanes is the winner. Ties are broken by most Cards in Hand. If there is still a further tie, the Captain with the highest Ranking Hand win.

Setup
1) Shuffle a standard 52 Card Poker Deck, and then Place this to the side for both Captains to Draw from.
2) Both Captains Draw a Hand of 7 Cards.
3) The board between the Captains is an imaginary 3x3 grid called the Map, where Cards may be Placed.

Turn Structure
1) Draw 1 Card (First Captain skips first Draw Step).
2) The Captain has 2 options for their Turn.
a) Deploy and/or Attack, made once each.
b) Pass.
3) Draw 1 Card.

Deploy Action - You may Deploy by Placing a Card faceup on the Map grid. Initially you must Place on one of the 3 Seazones nearest to you on the grid (called your Portside). After you have a Card on the Portside, you may Place in the next Seazone towards your Enemy in that Lane.

Attack Action - You may only Attack if you have a Ship (Card) orthogonally adjacent to an Enemy's Ship. When you Attack, you always have to Place a Card. To perform an Attack do the following Steps:
1) Both Captains Place a Card facedown from their Hand and add it to their Ship.
2) Calculate Support.
a) Ram: if you are the Attacker, and have 2 Ships in the same Lane as the Defending Ship, you have Ram. This allows you to calculate your total with both your Ships in the Lane as Attacking Cards, plus the Card you add from your Hand. If the Defending Captain has a Ship adjacent to the Target Ship, they may also add the adjacent Ship's Support, plus the Card from their Hand facedown. This is called a Portside Bastion.
b) Broadside: If the Attacker is Targeting a Ship that is in the adjacent Lane, they add an additional Card Drawn at random from the Deck to the facedown one they have from their Hand. If the Defender has a second Ship in the same Row that is adjacent to it, they may use both Cards in the Defence. This is called a Broadside Defence. If the Attacker has two Ships adjacent on the same Row, they do not gain the benefit of the second Card Ship. Should a Broadside Destroy an Enemy Ship, any Enemy Ships in Rows that are in front of this Ship gets Destroyed too.
3) Reveal Cards and compare the total Cards for the Attacker and Defender.
4) Highest Poker Hand wins.
a) You must have 3 Cards to qualify as a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush. The order of Poker Hand Rankings is Single<Pair<Flush<Straight<Thrace<Straight Flush<Royal Flush. Ace is the lowest, not the highest, but can be used in combination with the King and Queen to form either a Straight Flush, or the most powerful Royal Flush combo. There are two types of Royal Flushes, Jack, Queen, King, and Queen, King, Ace.
5) In case of a tie, Suits are ranked Spades>Hearts>Clubs>Diamonds>Spades.
6) If the Attacker wins, the Defending Ship is Discarded.
7) Discard both the Attacking and Defending Cards revealed in the Attack.

Pass Action - You can choose to Pass and not take an Action. You can also choose not to Defend. Should you choose not to Defend, the opposing Captain's Attack is wasted and Discarded. You always declare if you are not Defending after the Enemy Captain Places his Attack.

Game End: play continues until one of 2 conditions is met.
1) Should one Captain Occupy all Seazones on the Portside of the Enemy, they win!
2) The Deck runs out. Winner is determined as follows.
a) Most Occupied Enemy Lanes.
b) Most Cards in Hand
c) Highest Ranking Hand, based on both 3 and 5-Card Poker, with 5-Card Poker holding priority.

Terminology:

Blockade: A Blockade is formed when one of your Card Ships Occupy the Enemy's Portside Seazone. Should all of the Enemy's Portside Seazones be Blockaded, you win the game.

Broadside Defence: During a Broadside Attack on the Defender, if the Defender has a second Ship in the same Row that is adjacent to it, they may use both Cards in the Defence.

Captain: The Captain is the term for a Player on either side of the game.

Cutting Supply Routes: Should you Destroy an Enemy Card Ship that are in Rows behind other Enemy Card Ships, those that are in front of this Card Ship gets Destroyed too.

Map: The Map is the name for the 3x3 grid board for the game.

Rows: Rows are the horizontal Lanes on the Sea Map.

Portside: The Portside are the three back row Spaces nearest to a Player on the Map.

Portside Bastion: A Portside Bastion is formed when two Card Ships are Placed adjacent to each other in the Portside. Both Card Ships Support each other in the event of an Attack on either positions.

Seazones: Seazones are the Areas and Spaces you place Card Ships on the Map.

Shipping Lanes: Shipping Lanes are the vertical columns on the Sea Map.

There are optional rules too, if you are interested, I am willing to share.