Description
Instructions
You and the dealer each receive two private cards. Five community cards are revealed in stages. Each side makes the best five-card hand available from their private cards and the community cards.
You can make one Play bet per hand. Before the flop, you may bet 3x or 4x your Ante. After the three-card flop, you may bet 2x. Once all five community cards are visible, you must bet 1x or fold if you have not already made a Play bet. Folding loses your Ante and Blind.
The dealer needs at least a pair to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, your Ante pushes. When your hand beats the dealer’s, the Ante and Play bets pay 1:1. The Blind pays only if your winning hand is a straight or better; otherwise, it pushes.
Blind payouts for a winning hand:
Royal Flush: 500:1
Straight Flush: 50:1
Four of a Kind: 10:1
Full House: 3:1
Flush: 3:2
Straight: 1:1
Anything lower: Push
Trips is settled on your final five-card hand, whether or not you beat the dealer.
Trips payouts:
Royal Flush: 50:1
Straight Flush: 40:1
Four of a Kind: 30:1
Full House: 9:1
Flush: 7:1
Straight: 4:1
Three of a Kind: 3:1
Strategy and Tips
Make the 4x decision count
Before the flop, a 4x Play bet is available only once. Use it when your starting cards are strong enough, rather than checking simply because a smaller bet may be available later.
Check weaker starting hands
Checking lets you see the flop before deciding whether to make a 2x Play bet. If you check again, you can wait until the river to decide whether to make a 1x bet or fold.
Do not fold the river too easily
Folding loses both your Ante and Blind. Consider all five community cards before giving up: a modest hand can still beat the dealer, particularly when the shared cards are weak.
Account for dealer qualification
The dealer needs at least a pair to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, your Ante pushes even when your hand wins, so the return differs from a win against a qualifying dealer.
Understand the Blind payout
The Blind pays only when your winning hand is a straight or better. If you win with a weaker hand, the Blind pushes.
Treat Trips separately
Trips depends on your final five-card hand and can pay even if you lose to the dealer. It is a separate side bet, so judge its cost independently of the Ante, Blind and Play bets.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check all the way to the river?
Yes. You can check at the earlier decision points. At the river, you must either place a 1x Play bet or fold. Waiting reveals more cards, but removes the option to make a larger Play bet.
Does the dealer play their hand differently from mine?
The dealer makes no betting decisions. Their best five-card hand is determined automatically from their private cards and the community cards. You decide when to place your one Play bet or whether to fold.
Why is the Blind bet compulsory if it often pushes?
The Blind is a required starting bet with a separate paytable for winning hands of a straight or better. It pushes when you beat the dealer with a weaker hand.
How is this different from playing Texas Hold’em against other players?
You play against the dealer rather than other players. There is no shared pot or opponent betting to respond to. Both sides make their best five-card hand using private and community cards, while you choose when to place your Play bet.
Does folding late in the hand save me money?
Folding avoids the final Play bet, but you still lose the Ante and Blind already committed.