Four card poker
Encyclopedia
Four card poker is a relatively new casino
card game
similar to three card poker
, invented by Roger Snow and owned by ShuffleMaster.
After seeing his cards and the dealer's
face up card, the player can opt to fold the ante bet, in which case he loses it, or play by betting 1-3 times his ante. Unlike three card poker and some other games, the dealer always qualifies (plays). If the player ties or beats the dealer, he is paid the amount he has bet. A bonus is paid if the player has a three of a kind (2-1 for the original ante bet only), straight flush (20-1), or four of a kind (25-1). This bonus is paid out even if the dealer's hand is better than the player's; however, in this situation, the player would still lose his ante bets.
The Aces Up bet depends solely on the player's hand. If he has a pair of aces or better, he wins, otherwise he loses. The dealer's hand is immaterial. The payout for a win can range from 1-1 for a pair of aces to 50-1 for four of a kind, the best possible hand. Various payout variations are possible, depending on the casino, resulting in a house edge ranging from 1.98% to 6.15%.
is somewhat complex, but a simple strategy (shown below) has been developed. With optimal play, the ante + play bet has a house edge of about 3.36% of the initial bet.
A simple strategy (as listed on the ShuffleMaster information pamphlet available at some four card poker tables) dictates the following when playing the ante bet:
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
card game
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
similar to three card poker
Three card poker
Poker played with three cards dates back to the origins of the game of poker. As a result it's as unclear as the origins of poker, but includes the 16th century British card game of Brag. Rules for three card poker are included in Hoyle's Rules of Games from 1983 along with a hi-low...
, invented by Roger Snow and owned by ShuffleMaster.
Description of play
The player can place an ante bet or an "Aces Up" bet or both. Five playing cards are dealt to the player, while the dealer is dealt five cards face down and a sixth card face up. Both the player and the dealer make their best four-card hands. The dealer's advantages are in having an extra card and the fact that if the player folds, he will lose his ante, even if his hand turns out to be better than the dealer's.After seeing his cards and the dealer's
Poker dealer
A poker dealer distributes cards to players and manages the action at a poker table.-Professional dealers:Any casino with a poker room must hire a staff of dealers. Casinos generally pay dealers minimum wage. However, a dealer's primary source of income is not salary, but tips from players*...
face up card, the player can opt to fold the ante bet, in which case he loses it, or play by betting 1-3 times his ante. Unlike three card poker and some other games, the dealer always qualifies (plays). If the player ties or beats the dealer, he is paid the amount he has bet. A bonus is paid if the player has a three of a kind (2-1 for the original ante bet only), straight flush (20-1), or four of a kind (25-1). This bonus is paid out even if the dealer's hand is better than the player's; however, in this situation, the player would still lose his ante bets.
The Aces Up bet depends solely on the player's hand. If he has a pair of aces or better, he wins, otherwise he loses. The dealer's hand is immaterial. The payout for a win can range from 1-1 for a pair of aces to 50-1 for four of a kind, the best possible hand. Various payout variations are possible, depending on the casino, resulting in a house edge ranging from 1.98% to 6.15%.
Rank of hands
The possible four-card hands are (from best to worst):- Four of a kind
- Straight flush
- Three of a kind
- Flush
- Straight
- Two pair
- One pair
- High card
Strategy
Perfect strategyPoker strategy
Poker is a popular card game that combines elements of chance and strategy. There are various styles of poker, all of which share an objective of presenting the least probable or highest-scoring hand. A poker hand is a configuration of five cards, either held entirely by a player or drawn partly...
is somewhat complex, but a simple strategy (shown below) has been developed. With optimal play, the ante + play bet has a house edge of about 3.36% of the initial bet.
A simple strategy (as listed on the ShuffleMaster information pamphlet available at some four card poker tables) dictates the following when playing the ante bet:
- Pair of 2's or less: fold.
- Pair of 3's through 9's: bet 1x ante.
- Pair of 10's or better: bet 3x ante.