Casino Hold’em is the closest that you will get to playing real poker while playing against the house. It is very popular among poker players looking to play some recreational games, as well as for players who have a passion for poker but doesn’t want to sit at the real poker tables in the casino.
The game play is very simple, the house edge is low and the payouts are decent, which are all a winning combination for any casino game. If you are familiar with how poker is commonly played and the ranking system, then you are more or less ready to go, but for the inexperienced player we recommend that you read the next paragraphs also to be sure you understand the game exactly.
First thing to do when you play casino hold’em is to place a bet in the ante betting box and alternatively in the AA+ betting box, which provides a bonus if you are dealt AA. Once you have placed a bet you will receive two cards face down in live casinos and two cards face up online and then the flop (three community cards) will be dealt as well.
You will then have to review your hand and decide if you have a chance of creating a good strong hand that will result in beating the dealer as well as provide a prize for you. If you decide that you want to see the turn and river card, then you need to place yet another bet in the play box, which is commonly double the amount of the ante bet you made.
The turn and river card is then dealt and your hand goes to showdown against the dealer. In order to win a prize you will first have to beat the dealers hand and then also have picked up at least a pair on the board. If you win then you will get the prizes accordingly with the payouts that the casino have and if you lose they will take your chips and you can play a new hand.
Casino hold’em uses a regular 52 card deck to play the game and only uses one deck at a time just like in regular poker. They also follow the rules of burning cards before dealing the flop, turn and river to make everything as authentic as possible.
From there you will simply have to get the best possible poker hand you can get and beat the dealer. What you do need to know however is that the dealer needs to qualify in order for you to win on both your ante and play bet. This means that if the dealer does not have a pair of 4’s or better, then he does not qualify and your ante bet will be paid even money, while the play bet is simply a push.
If the hand is a tie between you and the dealer, then the hand is also a push, meaning that you will get your bets back and nothing else. Now let’s have a look at the hand rankings so you know when you have a good hand and when you don’t have a good hand.
The hand rankings used in casino hold’em are exactly the same as used in regular poker. If you are not familiar with the ranking system, then you can see it below, starting from the worst possible hand and finishing at the best possible one:
You will win every hand where the dealer does not qualify and you have a pair or better, as well as every time your hand ranks better than the dealers. You will be paid accordingly with the payouts of the specific casino for every hand you win.