Introduction
Ultimate Texas Hold'em® is a poker-based casino game in which the player may make one raise at any time during the course of the hand. The earlier the raise is made the higher it may be. Unlike other poker-based games, raises made after the ante still have action, even if the dealer doesn't open. This game was invented by Roger Snow of Shuffle Master. The same base game, with some minor rule changes, is also distributed by Galaxy Gaming under the name Heads Up Hold 'Em. Evolution Gaming, a supplier of live dealer games to Internet casinos, refers to the game as "Extreme Texas Hold 'Em" in some jurisdictions, for legal reasons.
ULTIMATE TEXAS HOLD ’EM® is a registered trademark of Bally Gaming, Inc. and is used with permission on this website.
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How To Video
Rules
Following are the standard rules as played in the United States. There is a variant played in Auckland, New Zealand, I address following the standard rules.
- The game is played with a single ordinary 52-card deck.
- The player must make an equal bet on both the Ante and Blind, and can also make an optional Trips bet.
- Two cards are dealt face down to the player and dealer. The player may look at his own cards.
- The player can check or make a Play bet equal to three or four times the Ante.
- The dealer turns over three community cards.
- If the player previously checked, then he may make a Play bet equal to two times his Ante. If the player already made a Play bet, then he may not bet further.
- Two final community cards are turned over.
- If the player previously checked twice, then he must either make a Play bet equal to exactly his Ante, or fold, losing both his Ante and Blind bets. If the player already raised he may not bet further.
- The player and dealer will both make the best possible hand using any combination of their own two cards and the five community cards.*
- The dealer will need at least a pair to open.
- The following table shows how the Blind, Ante, and Play bets are scored, according to who wins, and whether the dealer opens.
Scoring Rules
Winner Dealer Opens Blind Ante Play Player Yes Win Win Win Player No Win Push Win Dealer Yes Lose Lose Lose Dealer No Lose Push Lose Tie Yes or No Push Push Push - Winning Ante and Play bets pay 1 to 1. Winning Blind bets pay according to the following pay table.
Blind Bet Pay Table
Player Hand Pays Royal flush 500 to 1 Straight flush 50 to 1 Four of a kind 10 to 1 Full house 3 to 1 Flush 3 to 2 Straight 1 to 1 All other Push - The Trips bet will pay according to the poker value of the player's hand regardless of the value of the dealer's hand, according to one of the Trips bet pay tables below.
Notes:
* While the standard rules let both player and dealer use any five cards to make their best poker hand, in Auckland, New Zeland, both sides must make use of both hole cards and three of the five community cards. An analysis of the game under this rule can be found in my page on Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em -- Auckland Variant.
Analysis
There are 52 possible outcomes of each hand. The table below shows the probability of each and the contribution to the total return, assuming optimal strategy. A 4X raise is referred to as a "large raise," a 2X raise as "medium," and 1x as "small."
Return TableExpand
| Raise | Dealer Qualifies | Player Hand | Winner | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large | Yes | Less than straight | Player | 5 | 3,671,050,165,880 | 0.131987 | 0.659933 |
| Large | Yes | Straight | Player | 6 | 246,174,692,160 | 0.008851 | 0.053105 |
| Large | Yes | Flush | Player | 6.5 | 241,047,929,080 | 0.008666 | 0.056332 |
| Large | Yes | Full house | Player | 8 | 295,405,180,920 | 0.010621 | 0.084966 |
| Large | Yes | Four of a kind | Player | 15 | 23,008,208,760 | 0.000827 | 0.012408 |
| Large | Yes | Straight flush | Player | 55 | 1,818,135,760 | 0.000065 | 0.003595 |
| Large | Yes | Royal flush | Player | 505 | 596,356,920 | 0.000021 | 0.010828 |
| Large | No | Less than straight | Player | 4 | 1,556,797,035,840 | 0.055972 | 0.223888 |
| Large | No | Straight | Player | 5 | 81,416,649,960 | 0.002927 | 0.014636 |
| Large | No | Flush | Player | 5.5 | 50,874,988,680 | 0.001829 | 0.010060 |
| Large | No | Full house | Player | 7 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Large | No | Four of a kind | Player | 14 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Large | No | Straight flush | Player | 54 | 229,686,840 | 0.000008 | 0.000446 |
| Large | No | Royal flush | Player | 504 | 90,386,280 | 0.000003 | 0.001638 |
| Large | 0 | Push | 0 | 285,142,270,600 | 0.010252 | 0.000000 | |
| Large | Yes | Dealer | -6 | 3,931,554,359,920 | 0.141353 | -0.848116 | |
| Large | No | Dealer | -5 | 102,655,952,400 | 0.003691 | -0.018454 | |
| Medium | Yes | Less than straight | Player | 3 | 2,114,839,654,764 | 0.076036 | 0.228107 |
| Medium | Yes | Straight | Player | 4 | 133,100,158,992 | 0.004785 | 0.019142 |
| Medium | Yes | Flush | Player | 4.5 | 152,618,008,784 | 0.005487 | 0.024692 |
| Medium | Yes | Full house | Player | 6 | 289,401,836,880 | 0.010405 | 0.062430 |
| Medium | Yes | Four of a kind | Player | 13 | 18,537,793,620 | 0.000666 | 0.008664 |
| Medium | Yes | Straight flush | Player | 53 | 2,704,129,504 | 0.000097 | 0.005153 |
| Medium | Yes | Royal flush | Player | 503 | 112,333,500 | 0.000004 | 0.002031 |
| Medium | No | Less than straight | Player | 2 | 1,083,763,469,592 | 0.038965 | 0.077930 |
| Medium | No | Straight | Player | 3 | 45,053,788,356 | 0.001620 | 0.004860 |
| Medium | No | Flush | Player | 3.5 | 38,820,798,396 | 0.001396 | 0.004885 |
| Medium | No | Full house | Player | 5 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Medium | No | Four of a kind | Player | 12 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Medium | No | Straight flush | Player | 52 | 358,131,456 | 0.000013 | 0.000670 |
| Medium | No | Royal flush | Player | 502 | 8,830,620 | 0.000000 | 0.000159 |
| Medium | Push | 0 | 191,611,691,060 | 0.006889 | 0.000000 | ||
| Medium | Yes | Dealer | -4 | 1,841,155,221,088 | 0.066196 | -0.264783 | |
| Medium | No | Dealer | -3 | 7,978,353,108 | 0.000287 | -0.000861 | |
| Small | Yes | Less than straight | Player | 2 | 1,375,033,295,072 | 0.049437 | 0.098874 |
| Small | Yes | Straight | Player | 3 | 395,087,247,768 | 0.014205 | 0.042614 |
| Small | Yes | Flush | Player | 3.5 | 190,959,227,136 | 0.006866 | 0.024030 |
| Small | Yes | Full house | Player | 5 | 43,297,986,840 | 0.001557 | 0.007784 |
| Small | Yes | Four of a kind | Player | 12 | 859,737,984 | 0.000031 | 0.000371 |
| Small | Yes | Straight flush | Player | 52 | 1,962,591,576 | 0.000071 | 0.003669 |
| Small | Yes | Royal flush | Player | 502 | 42,135,660 | 0.000002 | 0.000760 |
| Small | No | Less than straight | Player | 1 | 720,579,458,748 | 0.025907 | 0.025907 |
| Small | No | Straight | Player | 2 | 136,018,223,484 | 0.004890 | 0.009781 |
| Small | No | Flush | Player | 2.5 | 40,911,000,804 | 0.001471 | 0.003677 |
| Small | No | Full house | Player | 4 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Small | No | Four of a kind | Player | 11 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Small | No | Straight flush | Player | 51 | 269,696,304 | 0.000010 | 0.000495 |
| Small | No | Royal flush | Player | 501 | 6,109,020 | 0.000000 | 0.000110 |
| Small | Push | 0 | 418,339,128,088 | 0.015041 | 0.000000 | ||
| Small | Yes | Dealer | -3 | 2,700,150,685,692 | 0.097079 | -0.291238 | |
| Small | No | Dealer | -2 | 47,223,220,344 | 0.001698 | -0.003396 | |
| Fold | -2 | 5,335,144,079,760 | 0.191816 | -0.383633 | |||
| Total | 27,813,810,024,000 | 1.000000 | -0.021850 | ||||
The lower right cell shows a house edge of 2.185% per ante bet. What this means, for example, is if you bet $1 and both the Ante and Blind initially, then you can expect to lose 2.185 cents on average. However for comparison to other games I believe the Element of Risk is more appropriate to look at. The average total amount bet by the end of the hand is 4.152252 times the ante bet. So the element of risk would be 2.185%/4.152252 = 0.526%. The standard deviation, relative to the Ante bet, is 4.94.
Large bettors should be wary of maximum payouts. If your ante bet is more than 1/500 of the maximum payout, then you will get shortchanged on a royal flush. For every 100 the effective payout on a royal goes down, the house edge will go up by 0.308%. In other words, the increase in the house edge will be [500-(MP/500)]*0.0000308, where MP is the maximum payout.
The next table shows the average wager and return from each bet.
Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® Return Table
| Bet Type | Average Wager | Average Pays | Average Win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ante | 1 | -0.165757 | -0.165757 |
| Blind | 1 | -0.314685 | -0.314685 |
| Play | 2.152252 | 0.213076 | 0.458593 |
| Total | 4.152252 | -0.02185 |
Wizard Strategy
The following is my "Wizard Strategy" for Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em®.
Large Raise: The following table shows when to make the 4X raise.
Medium Raise: Make the 2X raise with any of the following:
- Two pair or better.
- Hidden pair*, except pocket deuces.
- Four to a flush including a hidden 10 or better to that flush
* Hidden pair = Any pair with at least one card in your hole cards (thus the pair is hidden to the dealer).
Small Raise: Make the 1X raise with any of the following, otherwise fold:
- Hidden pair or better.
- Less than 21 dealer outs beat you.
Example
What I mean by an "out" is a dealer hole card that will cause you to lose. Let's look at this situation as an example.
In the example above, there 15 cards that will pair the dealer and beat you (three suits each of K, 7, 2, A, and 10). Then there are the two ranks (jacks and queens) which will out-kick the player. All four jacks and queens remain in the decks, so that is 2×4=8 more cards that will beat you. So, we're up to 15+8=23. We don't count the other three nines because those will result in a push. So, because there are only 23 outs (21 or more), we fold.
BTW, using my Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® calculator, we see that the expected value of raising this hand is -2.136364, which is less than the -2 of folding.
I get asked a lot about combinations of cards that will beat the player. For example, any two dealer spades that would give the dealer a flush in the example above. The answer is no. It would really make things complicated if the strategy accounted for double-card combinations that would beat the player.
Following my Wizard strategy will result in a house edge of 2.43% and an Element of Risk of 0.58%.
The second and third decision points are influenced by the James Grosjean strategy, for which I have great respect, as I do for all of Grosjean's work. I highly recommend his strategy if you want to something even more powerful than my simple strategy above.
Playing Blind
I've been asked about "playing blind," meaning making the same raise bet every hand. The following table shows the win, combinations, probability, and contribution to the return for all possible event playing blindly with a 1x Play bet every hand. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 40.7%, relative to the Ante bet. Compared to the total three units bet per hand (Ante, Blind, and Play), the element of risk, defined as the ratio of expected loss to total amount bet, is 13.57%.
Playing Blind with 1x Raise
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player loses, dealer doesn't qualify | -2 | 76,626,795,600 | 0.027550 | -0.055100 |
| Player loses, dealer qualifies | -3 | 1,257,498,573,692 | 0.452113 | -1.356339 |
| Push | 0 | 113,130,263,816 | 0.040674 | 0.000000 |
| Player wins with royal flush, dealer doesn't qualify | 501 | 10,532,592 | 0.000004 | 0.001897 |
| Player wins with straight flush, dealer doesn't qualify | 51 | 85,751,460 | 0.000031 | 0.001572 |
| Player wins with four of a kind, dealer doesn't qualify | 11 | - | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Player wins with full house, dealer doesn't qualify | 4 | - | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Player wins with flush, dealer doesn't qualify | 2.5 | 13,060,678,788 | 0.004696 | 0.011739 |
| Player wins with straight, dealer doesn't qualify | 2 | 26,248,866,180 | 0.009437 | 0.018875 |
| Player wins with three of a kind or less, dealer doesn't qualify | 1 | 356,577,881,220 | 0.128202 | 0.128202 |
| Player wins with royal flush, dealer qualifies | 502 | 75,082,608 | 0.000027 | 0.013551 |
| Player wins with straight flush, dealer qualifies | 52 | 648,485,684 | 0.000233 | 0.012124 |
| Player wins with four of a kind, dealer qualifies | 12 | 4,240,864,800 | 0.001525 | 0.018297 |
| Player wins with full house, dealer qualifies | 5 | 62,810,500,464 | 0.022582 | 0.112912 |
| Player wins with flush, dealer qualifies | 3.5 | 58,462,516,500 | 0.021019 | 0.073567 |
| Player wins with straight, dealer qualifies | 3 | 77,436,209,892 | 0.027841 | 0.083523 |
| Player wins with three of a kind or less, dealer qualifies | 2 | 734,467,999,104 | 0.264066 | 0.528132 |
| Total | 2,781,381,002,400 | 1.000000 | -0.407047 |
The next table shows the same information but with a 4x raise. Note that the bottom line shows an expected loss of the same 40.7% of the Ante bet. This is because the Play bet is perfectly balanced, if always made, so it contains no house edge. However, the total amount bet would be six units, making the element of risk 40.7%/6 = 6.78%.
Playing Blind with 4x Raise
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player loses, dealer doesn't qualify | -5 | 76,626,795,600 | 0.027550 | -0.137750 |
| Player loses, dealer qualifies | -6 | 1,257,498,573,692 | 0.452113 | -2.712678 |
| Push | 0 | 113,130,263,816 | 0.040674 | 0.000000 |
| Player wins with royal flush, dealer doesn't qualify | 504 | 10,532,592 | 0.000004 | 0.001909 |
| Player wins with straight flush, dealer doesn't qualify | 54 | 85,751,460 | 0.000031 | 0.001665 |
| Player wins with four of a kind, dealer doesn't qualify | 14 | - | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Player wins with full house, dealer doesn't qualify | 7 | - | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Player wins with flush, dealer doesn't qualify | 5.5 | 13,060,678,788 | 0.004696 | 0.025827 |
| Player wins with straight, dealer doesn't qualify | 5 | 26,248,866,180 | 0.009437 | 0.047187 |
| Player wins with three of a kind or less, dealer doesn't qualify | 4 | 356,577,881,220 | 0.128202 | 0.512807 |
| Player wins with royal flush, dealer qualifies | 505 | 75,082,608 | 0.000027 | 0.013632 |
| Player wins with straight flush, dealer qualifies | 55 | 648,485,684 | 0.000233 | 0.012823 |
| Player wins with four of a kind, dealer qualifies | 15 | 4,240,864,800 | 0.001525 | 0.022871 |
| Player wins with full house, dealer qualifies | 8 | 62,810,500,464 | 0.022582 | 0.180660 |
| Player wins with flush, dealer qualifies | 6.5 | 58,462,516,500 | 0.021019 | 0.136625 |
| Player wins with straight, dealer qualifies | 6 | 77,436,209,892 | 0.027841 | 0.167046 |
| Player wins with three of a kind or less, dealer qualifies | 5 | 734,467,999,104 | 0.264066 | 1.320330 |
| Total | 2,781,381,002,400 | 1.000000 | -0.407047 |
In conclusion about playing blind, it is a terrible idea. However, if you must do so, make the maximum 4x raise.
Trips Bet
Shufflemaster literature mentions the following four possible pay tables on the Trips bet.
Trips Bet - Pay Table 1
| Player Hand | Combinations | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 4324 | 50 | 0.000032 | 0.001616 |
| Straight flush | 37260 | 40 | 0.000279 | 0.01114 |
| Four of a kind | 224848 | 30 | 0.001681 | 0.05042 |
| Full house | 3473184 | 9 | 0.025961 | 0.233649 |
| Flush | 4047644 | 7 | 0.030255 | 0.211785 |
| Straight | 6180020 | 4 | 0.046194 | 0.184775 |
| Three of a kind | 6461620 | 3 | 0.048299 | 0.144896 |
| All other | 113355660 | -1 | 0.8473 | -0.8473 |
| Total | 133784560 | 1 | -0.009018 |
Trips Bet - Pay Table 2
| Player Hand | Combinations | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 4324 | 50 | 0.000032 | 0.001616 |
| Straight flush | 37260 | 40 | 0.000279 | 0.01114 |
| Four of a kind | 224848 | 30 | 0.001681 | 0.05042 |
| Full house | 3473184 | 8 | 0.025961 | 0.207688 |
| Flush | 4047644 | 6 | 0.030255 | 0.18153 |
| Straight | 6180020 | 5 | 0.046194 | 0.230969 |
| Three of a kind | 6461620 | 3 | 0.048299 | 0.144896 |
| All other | 113355660 | -1 | 0.8473 | -0.8473 |
| Total | 133784560 | 1 | -0.01904 |
Trips Bet — Pay Table 3
| Player Hand | Combinations | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 4324 | 50 | 0.000032 | 0.001616 |
| Straight flush | 37260 | 40 | 0.000279 | 0.01114 |
| Four of a kind | 224848 | 30 | 0.001681 | 0.05042 |
| Full house | 3473184 | 8 | 0.025961 | 0.207688 |
| Flush | 4047644 | 7 | 0.030255 | 0.211785 |
| Straight | 6180020 | 4 | 0.046194 | 0.184775 |
| Three of a kind | 6461620 | 3 | 0.048299 | 0.144896 |
| All other | 113355660 | -1 | 0.8473 | -0.8473 |
| Total | 133784560 | 1 | -0.034979 |
Pay table #3 seen at the Mirage.
Trips Bet - Pay Table 4
| Player Hand | Combinations | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 4324 | 50 | 0.000032 | 0.001616 |
| Straight flush | 37260 | 40 | 0.000279 | 0.01114 |
| Four of a kind | 224848 | 20 | 0.001681 | 0.033613 |
| Full house | 3473184 | 7 | 0.025961 | 0.181727 |
| Flush | 4047644 | 6 | 0.030255 | 0.18153 |
| Straight | 6180020 | 5 | 0.046194 | 0.230969 |
| Three of a kind | 6461620 | 3 | 0.048299 | 0.144896 |
| All other | 113355660 | -1 | 0.8473 | -0.8473 |
| Total | 133784560 | 1 | -0.061808 |
Pay table #4 seen at Shufflemaster TableMax units.
In Florida, the player must also beat the dealer to win the Trips bet. There is also an increase in the pay table to adjust for this. For the full rules, please see my page on the Florida Variant of Trips Bet.
Common Progressive
This is the most common progressive jackpot, in my experience, so I'll title it the "Common Progressive." I used to title it the "Michigan Progressive," when the only known placement was in Michigan, but now it is seen all over the place.
There is just a single bet amount, which can be $1 or $5, depending on the table. Wins are based on the player's two hole cards and the three flop cards. The following table shows the probability and contribution to the return for the various wins. Wins are relative to the amount bet and are on a "for one" basis.
Common Progressive
| Event | Pays | Envy Bonus | Combinations | Probability | Return | Envy Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 100% of jackpot | 1000 | 4 | 0.000002 | 0.000000 | 0.001539 |
| Straight flush | 10% of jackpot | 300 | 36 | 0.000014 | 0.000000 | 0.004156 |
| Four of a kind | 300 | 624 | 0.000240 | 0.072029 | 0.000000 | |
| Full house | 50 | 3,744 | 0.001441 | 0.072029 | 0.000000 | |
| Flush | 40 | 5,108 | 0.001965 | 0.078616 | 0.000000 | |
| Straight | 30 | 10,200 | 0.003925 | 0.117739 | 0.000000 | |
| Three of a kind | 9 | 54,912 | 0.021128 | 0.190156 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 74,628 | 0.028715 | 0.530569 | 0.005695 |
What the table above immediately shows us is fixed wins return 53.06% to the player. For each additional player at the table, besides yourself, your return goes up by 0.57% from the Envy Bonus.
For a $1 bet, every $10,000 in the meter adds 2.924% to the return. Likewise, for a $5 bet, every $50,000 in the meter adds 2.924% to the return.
The next table shows the break-even point, where the Progressive side bet has zero house edge, according to the bet amount and number of other players (not counting yourself).
Common Progressive
| Other Players | $1 Bet | $5 Bet |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $160,530.53 | $802,652.63 |
| 1 | $158,583.16 | $792,915.79 |
| 2 | $156,635.79 | $783,178.95 |
| 3 | $154,688.42 | $773,442.11 |
| 4 | $152,741.05 | $763,705.26 |
| 5 | $150,793.68 | $753,968.42 |
Small Progressive
Many tables in Las Vegas offer a $1 progressive side bet. The top win is for a royal flush using at least one hole card, which I call a "hidden royal flush." There is also a $100 envy bonus if another player gets a hidden royal. The following table shows the return of the fixed wins only, not counting the envy bonus. It shows a return of 45.68%, before considering the jackpot and envy bonuses.
Small Progressive
| Event | Pays | Envy | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden royal flush | Jackpot | $100 | 86,480 | 0.000031 | ? |
| Community royal flush | $1000 | $0 | 4,324 | 0.000002 | 0.001539 |
| Straight flush | $250 | $0 | 782,460 | 0.000279 | 0.069627 |
| Four of a kind | $75 | $0 | 4,721,808 | 0.001681 | 0.126050 |
| Full house | $10 | $0 | 72,936,864 | 0.025961 | 0.259610 |
| All other | $0 | $0 | 2,730,943,824 | 0.972047 | 0.000000 |
| Total | 2,809,475,760 | 1.000000 | 0.456827 + ? |
The return per $1000 in jackpot is 3.08%. The return for the Envy Bonus is 0.308% for each additional player at the table. So each additional player at the table is worth $100 in the meter.
The next table shows how big the jackpot has to be for the Small Progressive to have exactly a 100% return, or zero house advantage.
Break Even Jackpots
| Other Players | Jackpot |
|---|---|
| 5 | $17,146.07 |
| 4 | $17,246.07 |
| 3 | $17,346.07 |
| 2 | $17,446.07 |
| 1 | $17,546.07 |
| 0 | $17,646.07 |
Buffalo Thunder Progressive
The Big Progressive tends to be much larger, because the player must flop a royal flush to win it. In other words, the player cannot make use of the Turn and River cards to win the progressive, unlike in the Small Progressive. There is no Envy Bonus. It was seen at the Buffalo Thunder casino in New Mexico.
Buffalo Thunder Progressive
| Event | Pays | Permutations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player flops royal | 100% of jackpot | 1037760 | 0.000002 | ? |
| Royal partially on board | 5% of jackpot | 19717440 | 0.000029 | ? |
| Royal entirely on board | 3000 | 1037760 | 0.000002 | 0.004617 |
| Straight flush | 250 | 187790400 | 0.000279 | 0.069627 |
| Four of a kind | 100 | 1133233920 | 0.001681 | 0.168067 |
| Full house | 10 | 17504847360 | 0.025961 | 0.25961 |
| All other | 0 | 655426517760 | 0.972047 | 0 |
| Total | 674274182400 | 1 | 0.502077 + ? |
The return for at any given time is 50.19% plus 3.00% for each $10,000 in the meter. For exactly zero house edge, the meter would need to be $165,959.74. I'm told the meter is seeded at $5,000, and 27% of money bet goes towards the meter. Fixed wins are not deducted from the meter. That would make the overall return 77.96%.
Bad Beat Bonus
At the Admiral casino in Liechtenstein there is a Bad Beat Bonus side bet. It pays if either the player or dealer lose with a three of a kind or better. Gaming literature mentions two different pay tables. My analysis of both is below. The bottom line is a house edge of 14.79% on pay table 1 and 20.39% on pay table 2.
Bad Beat Bonus — Pay Table 1
| Losing Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 7,500 | 10,300,592 | 0.000004 | 0.027776 |
| Four of a kind | 500 | 471,040,512 | 0.000169 | 0.084677 |
| Full house | 50 | 8,435,225,376 | 0.003033 | 0.151637 |
| Flush | 30 | 19,434,208,592 | 0.006987 | 0.209618 |
| Straight | 20 | 18,271,076,976 | 0.006569 | 0.131381 |
| Three of a kind | 9 | 64,049,759,448 | 0.023028 | 0.207252 |
| Low hand win* | -1 | 2,557,579,127,088 | 0.919536 | -0.919536 |
| Tie | -1 | 113,130,263,816 | 0.040674 | -0.040674 |
| Total | 2,781,381,002,400 | 1.000000 | -0.147868 |
Bad Beat Bonus — Pay Table 2
| Losing Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 10,000 | 10,300,592 | 0.000004 | 0.037034 |
| Four of a kind | 500 | 471,040,512 | 0.000169 | 0.084677 |
| Full house | 40 | 8,435,225,376 | 0.003033 | 0.121310 |
| Flush | 25 | 19,434,208,592 | 0.006987 | 0.174681 |
| Straight | 20 | 18,271,076,976 | 0.006569 | 0.131381 |
| Three of a kind | 9 | 64,049,759,448 | 0.023028 | 0.207252 |
| Low hand win* | -1 | 2,557,579,127,088 | 0.919536 | -0.919536 |
| Tie | -1 | 113,130,263,816 | 0.040674 | -0.040674 |
| Total | 2,781,381,002,400 | 1.000000 | -0.203873 |
*: A "low hand win" is a winning hand of two pair or less.
Hole Card Bonus
I'm told this side bet can be found in Washington state, the Flamingo in Las Vegas, and Norwegian cruise ship casinos. It pays based on the player's hole cards, except the top award also involves the dealer's hole cards. The lower right cell in the following table shows a house edge of 8.54%.
Hole Card Bonus
| Bet | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player and dealer have aces | 1000 | 6 | 0.000004 | 0.003694 |
| Pair of aces | 30 | 7,344 | 0.004521 | 0.135636 |
| A/K suited | 25 | 4,900 | 0.003017 | 0.075415 |
| A/Q or A/J suited | 20 | 9,800 | 0.006033 | 0.120664 |
| AK off-suit | 15 | 14,700 | 0.009050 | 0.135747 |
| Pair J's - K's | 10 | 22,050 | 0.013575 | 0.135747 |
| A/Q or A/J off-suit | 5 | 29,400 | 0.018100 | 0.090498 |
| Pair 2's - 10's | 3 | 66,150 | 0.040724 | 0.122172 |
| All other | -1 | 1,470,000 | 0.904977 | -0.904977 |
| Total | 1,624,350 | 1.000000 | -0.085406 |
3x Raise Pre Flop
Some tables allow the player to raise 3x only pre-flop. This is a terrible, increasing the element of risk from 0.53% to 2.63%, causing the player to lose 5x as much money. For my full analysis of this version, please see my page on Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em (3x).
Australian Rules
I have an unconfirmed report that at the Crown casino in Perth, Australia, the blind bet pushes if the dealer doesn't qualify and the dealer wins. Assuming no change in strategy, this happens 1 in every 176 hands. When it happens, the player will lose one less unit. The effect is a reduction in the house edge from 2.185% to 1.617%.
6-Card Bonus
Some casinos add on a side bet known as the 6-Card Bonus. This side bet is found on multiple poker-derivative games, so I created a special page for it. For more information, please see my page on the 6-Card Bonus.
Millionaire Progressive
This is a $5 "red light" progressive side bet that pays $1,000,000 for a royal flush in spades, I believe using the player's two hole cards and the flop. For all the rules and analysis, please see my page on the Millionaire Progressive.
Play for Free
I'm very proud to offer my Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® game. What I'm especially pleased with is the advice feature, which offers advice based on optimal strategy. Webmaster J.B. worked very hard on this so please have a look.
Calculator
I'm proud to present my Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® calculator. Put in any cards after the flop, river, or turn, and it will tell you the correct play and expected value.
Internal Links
- Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® game. Play for free with an advice feature to catch your mistakes.
- Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® calculator. Put in any cards to determine the best play.
- Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® appendix 1. Details on the odds before the flop.
- Heads Up Hold 'Em. Similar game, offering bad beat bonuses, but 3x raise only after two cards.
- Florida Variant of Trips Bet, where the player must also beat the dealer.
External Links
- Wikipedia — Entry on Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em.
- Discountgambling.net has an outstanding analysis of this game, including what I call his "nut kicker" strategy for the second and third decision points.
- Shufflemaster's Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em® page.
- Demo game — Play this licensed demo game at our sister site Latest Casino Bonuses.
Written by:Michael Shackleford
FAQs
What is the best strategy for Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›
This is usually that round in the game where the first two cards are dealt to each player. Other than that, no other cards are usually dealt in this round. Now, in this round the raise is either 3X or 4X of the ante bet. So, as per the best strategy for ultimate Texas Hold'em always raise your bet by 4X.
Is Ultimate Texas Hold'em beatable? ›However, like its big brother, Ultimate Texas Hold'em does contain certain elements of strategy. While you can't beat the house, your decisions do matter as they will define just how big of an edge the casino has over you.
What are the payouts on Ultimate Texas Hold em? ›| Player hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10 to 1 |
| Full House | 3 to 1 |
| Flush | 3 to 2 |
To win by point cap: In ultimate you must reach the game total and be two points ahead of your opponent to win. So if you score 15 points and the other team has 13 points or less, you win. If you score 15 points and the other team has 14 points, the new game total will be 16 (assuming the other team stays at 14).
Are 3 card poker odds better? ›What Are The Odds Of Winning? Like most casino poker games, 3 Card Poker gives the house quite a substantial edge. On Ante and Play bets, the casino retains an advantage of 3.37 percent, which is significantly higher than a game like blackjack.
What is the house advantage in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›The house edge is roughly 2.2% of your ante bet in Ultimate Texas Hold'em, but it decreases to 0.50% for all of your bets combined. This means that, on average, you'll lose $2.20 for every $100 that you bet on the ante. This is a pretty low number, especially compared to other popular casino games.
What has better odds 3 card poker or Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›3 – Players Have Much More to Lose on Every Hand
And in Three-Card Poker, the element of risk stands at 2.01% or nearly four times that found in Ultimate Texas Hold'em (0.53%).
In fact, card counting in a poker game is not illegal but is encouraged and necessary to win money over the long term. Since it is possible to count cards in Texas Hold'em, let's discuss how this is accomplished and ways you can use this technique to beat your opponents.
What casino game has the lowest house edge? ›1. Blackjack – House edge from 0.42% to 1.5% It may come as no surprise that Blackjack is the game with the lowest house advantage. This game is pretty easy to learn and there are several different strategies in Blackjack which could increase your chances of winning even more.
What is the blind bet in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›Blind Bet Pay Table. The Trips bet will pay according to the poker value of the player's hand regardless of the value of the dealer's hand, according to one of the Trips bet pay tables below.
Is Ultimate Texas Holdem the same as Texas Holdem? ›
Ultimate Texas Holdem shares many similarities with regular Texas Holdem, however the biggest difference is that you play exclusively against the dealer in Ultimate Texas Holdem. What's more is that the table used is of a layout similar to a blackjack table.
What is a push in Ultimate Texas Hold em? ›The minimum hand you need to get paid is a Straight. If you beat the dealer with less than a Straight, though, your bet is a push. Here is a standard payout chart for Ultimate Texas Hold'em Blinds bets: Hand.
How do you count dealer outs in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em by the Wizard of Odds - YouTube
Is there a strategy to video poker? ›Play within your means. Within your means, always play the maximum bet to qualify for progressive jackpots. Stick to “Jack or Better” and avoid wild-card games as those reduce payouts on big hands. Look for video poker machines with progressive payouts to increase your overall profitability and reduce the house edge.
How do you win at Texas Holdem with a dealer? ›Simply, it pits each player against the dealer in heads-up hands of Texas Hold'em poker. Whoever has the best five-card poker hand at the end, wins. As in Blackjack, you only have to beat the dealer's hand to win, not the other players at the table.
What's the easiest game to win at in a casino? ›Conclusion. As we have pointed out, the easiest games to win at a casino include baccarat, blackjack, roulette, poker, and craps. These games also have simple rules, making them easier for even newbies to play. Remember that you can stand a better chance to win by practicing safe measures when playing games.
Should you play the 6 card Bonus in 3 Card Poker? ›Generally speaking, Six-card bonus offers higher payouts than Pair Plus. This is because the odds of building a strong hand are shorter with five cards (even when considering the sixth available card) than with three. For example, it's easier to build a three-card flush than a five-card flush.
What is the best game to play at the casino to win money? ›Blackjack
Blackjack has the best odds of winning, with a house edge of just 1 percent in most casinos, Bean said. Plus, you are playing against only the dealer, not hooded poker champions.
Odds range from 7-to-1 to 8,000-to-1. The dealer and players each get seven cards. It's not like traditional poker, because four-of-a-kind and full-house hands don't matter. To win in this game, players need at least three cards of the same suit — a three-card flush.
How many decks are used in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›The game uses 2 alternating standard 52 card decks. Before the deal, each player will place an ante bet with an equal blind bet. There is an optional trips bonus bet.
Can you win at 3 card poker? ›
Three Card Poker is like getting two Las Vegas casino games in one. Not only can you play against the dealer, you can also win based on how good your cards are. The object of the game is to make the best poker hand possible with only three cards.
Should you bet the pair plus in 3 card poker? ›Pair Plus looks like the superior bet on the surface, because the house edge is only 2.32%. Few casino side bets come close to offering this low of a house advantage. Therefore, it's common to see many Three Card Poker players only make the Pair Plus wager.
What is the best way to bet in 3 card poker? ›BASIC 3 CARD POKER STRATEGY
The usual strategy for when to make the Play wager is to bet whenever you have Queen-6-4 or better, including any time your high card is an Ace or a King, no matter how high your other two cards are, and also anytime your hand is Q-7 or better, regardless of your third card.
The house edge in Three Card Poker is 3.37% on the Ante and 7.28% on the Pairplus.
Do professional poker players count cards? ›Card counting is not only legal in poker, but a crucial technique used by all successful players. In any scenario, you should always use your hole cards and the community cards to determine the likelihood of an opponent having a particular hand.
What is ace sequencing? ›Another technique related to shuffle tracking is called ace sequencing. Ace sequencing tries to predict when an ace is about to be dealt. If a player knows they will be dealt an ace as their first card, they gain a 50.43% advantage.
How can you tell if a slot machine is hot? ›- Looking at a slot's return to player (RTP) percentage. For those hoping for a speedy return on the bulk of their spins, the RTP % of the game is all they need to know. ...
- The slot's volatility. ...
- Tournaments of slots.
The house edge varies significantly among the different casino games, with blackjack the lowest and keno the highest.
Is it better to bet player or banker? ›In Baccarat, the Banker's hand will win 45.8% of the time, slightly higher than the Player's hand at 44.6%. Ties win 9.6% of the time. When factoring out the tie, the Banker's hand wins about 51 percent of the time. This one percent may be a very marginal advantage, but it's slightly better than coin-flip odds.
Does a flush beat a straight? ›A flush is a hand that contains five cards all of the same suit, not all of sequential rank, such as K♣ 10♣ 7♣ 6♣ 4♣ (a "king-high flush" or a "king-ten-high flush"). It ranks below a full house and above a straight.
How much does a straight flush pay? ›
| Hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| 4 of a Kind | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 25 to 1 |
| Flush | 15 to 1 |
The payouts for that bet are based on the final poker hand you have, as follows: A royal flush pays off at 500 to 1. A straight flush pays off at 50 to 1. A 4 of a kind pays off at 10 to 1.
How do you play the bonus in Texas Holdem? ›How To Play Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker - YouTube
What is the fastest way to calculate poker outs? ›To calculate your poker equity - or how often you should win a hand, you can use a simple formula. Count how many outs you have. For example, if you're drawing to a flush, you have 13 suited cards, two in your hand, two on the board - leaves 9 outs. The chance of you hitting on the turn is 9*4 (+4) = 40%.
What is the house edge on Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›If you know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, the house edge is 2.2 percent of your initial ante, or about 0.5 percent of your total bets.
How do you calculate outs? ›An out is a card which will make your hand. For example, if you are on a flush draw with four hearts in your hand, then there will be nine hearts (outs) remaining in the deck to give you a flush. Remember there are thirteen cards in a suit, so this is easily worked out; 13 – 4 = 9.
Should you hold a low pair in video poker? ›One of the most important strategy tips for video poker players to remember is that low pairs are almost always more valuable than high cards. You win more hands when you hold a Jack or higher, but have larger average payoffs and win more money when you hold low pairs instead.
What are the odds of hitting a royal flush on a poker machine? ›Far fetch as it may seem, it's possible to hold one single high card, hit the draw button, and be dealt the other four cards you need for a royal flush. But don't count on this happening very often because the odds are 1 in 178,365.
Should you play the trips bet in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›As mentioned, Trips bets are completely optional in Ultimate Texas Hold'em, and from the mathematical perspective, they aren't the best choice as the house edge on them is around 1.9%. However, they can be a lot of fun and add excitement to your sessions.
How much money do you need to play poker at a casino? ›Most poker games have a minimum and maximum buy-in amount. A $2/$3 No-Limit Hold'em cash game might feature a $40 minimum and $300 maximum buy-in. At any time during the game, you can “top up” and replenish your stack back up to the maximum buy-in.
Can the House lose at poker? ›
Sometimes players may get lucky and make money over the short term, but if they keep playing they will eventually lose everything back (and more), since the house has an edge.
What is a push in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›The minimum hand you need to get paid is a Straight. If you beat the dealer with less than a Straight, though, your bet is a push. Here is a standard payout chart for Ultimate Texas Hold'em Blinds bets: Hand.
How do you count dealer outs in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em by the Wizard of Odds - YouTube
How do you win at Texas Holdem with a dealer? ›Simply, it pits each player against the dealer in heads-up hands of Texas Hold'em poker. Whoever has the best five-card poker hand at the end, wins. As in Blackjack, you only have to beat the dealer's hand to win, not the other players at the table.
What are the odds in high card flush? ›Odds range from 7-to-1 to 8,000-to-1. The dealer and players each get seven cards. It's not like traditional poker, because four-of-a-kind and full-house hands don't matter. To win in this game, players need at least three cards of the same suit — a three-card flush.
What is the blind in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›If you beat the dealer and your hand is less than a straight, the Blind pushes. If you tie the dealer the Blind pushes. you are dealt Three-of-a-Kind or better, regardless of the dealer's hand. You must place an Ante and Blind wager in order to play the Trips Bonus.
Does a flush beat a straight? ›A flush is a hand that contains five cards all of the same suit, not all of sequential rank, such as K♣ 10♣ 7♣ 6♣ 4♣ (a "king-high flush" or a "king-ten-high flush"). It ranks below a full house and above a straight.
Is Ultimate Texas Holdem the same as Texas Holdem? ›Ultimate Texas Holdem shares many similarities with regular Texas Holdem, however the biggest difference is that you play exclusively against the dealer in Ultimate Texas Holdem. What's more is that the table used is of a layout similar to a blackjack table.
Can you count cards in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›In fact, card counting in a poker game is not illegal but is encouraged and necessary to win money over the long term. Since it is possible to count cards in Texas Hold'em, let's discuss how this is accomplished and ways you can use this technique to beat your opponents.
What is the fastest way to calculate poker outs? ›To calculate your poker equity - or how often you should win a hand, you can use a simple formula. Count how many outs you have. For example, if you're drawing to a flush, you have 13 suited cards, two in your hand, two on the board - leaves 9 outs. The chance of you hitting on the turn is 9*4 (+4) = 40%.
How do you calculate outs? ›
An out is a card which will make your hand. For example, if you are on a flush draw with four hearts in your hand, then there will be nine hearts (outs) remaining in the deck to give you a flush. Remember there are thirteen cards in a suit, so this is easily worked out; 13 – 4 = 9.
What has better odds 3 Card Poker or Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›3 – Players Have Much More to Lose on Every Hand
And in Three-Card Poker, the element of risk stands at 2.01% or nearly four times that found in Ultimate Texas Hold'em (0.53%).
Most poker games have a minimum and maximum buy-in amount. A $2/$3 No-Limit Hold'em cash game might feature a $40 minimum and $300 maximum buy-in. At any time during the game, you can “top up” and replenish your stack back up to the maximum buy-in.
How many decks are used in Ultimate Texas Holdem? ›The game uses 2 alternating standard 52 card decks. Before the deal, each player will place an ante bet with an equal blind bet. There is an optional trips bonus bet.
What is the strategy for high card flush? ›The casino game High Card Flush has been growing in popularity. The only published strategy for High Card Flush has been the Charles Mousseau Strategy, which is to make a maximum Raise bet on any four-card or higher flush, and to Raise any three-card flush of rank T-8-6 or greater, otherwise FOLD.
Does a straight flush beat an ace high flush? ›A “straight flush” is five consecutive cards of the same suit. If two players have a straight flush then the highest card wins. The highest possible straight flush, and the best hand in poker, is an ace high straight flush, also known as a royal flush…
How do you deal the chase flush? ›...
GAME RULES.
| Same Suit Bonus | Pay To 1 |
|---|---|
| 4 Card Flush | 1 |
| H.E | 8.46% |