What is Casino Hold’em?

How to Play Casino Hold’em

In Casino Hold’em players try to form the strongest possible five-card poker hand by combining two hole cards and five community cards. 

The Flop

The round starts once the player places their Ante bet. After doing so, the dealer deals two face-up cards to the player and takes two face-down cards for themselves. Furthermore, the dealer places three face-up community cards in the centre of the table. This is known as the ‘Flop’.

Once the Flop has been dealt, the player can evaluate the strength of their hand combined with the community cards. The player will have to either Call or Fold. If the player Folds, they lose their Ante bet and the round is over. If the player Calls, they place a second bet that is double the size of the Ante bet.

The Turn and The River

In the scenario that the player Calls, the dealer then serves two more community cards onto the table. The fourth card is known as the ‘Turn’ and the fifth card is called the ‘River’. Once all five community cards are played, the dealer will reveal their two face-down cards.

The person that has the strongest five-card poker hand wins the round. However, the dealer must have at least a pair of 4s to qualify for the round. If their hand does not meet the requirements, the Ante bet is paid out according to the pay table and the Call bet is returned as a push. If the dealer’s hand does contain at least a pair of 4s, but is still weaker than the player’s hand, the Ante bet is paid out according to the pay table and the Call bet is paid at 1:1.

The Ante bet pays as follows:

• 1:1 for a Straight or lower
• 2:1 for a Flush
• 3:1 for a Full House
• 10:1 for a Four of a Kind
• 20:1 for a Straight Flush
• 100:1 for a Royal Flush

The AA Side Bet

Casino Hold’em has a side bet called AA. The AA bet is settled once the Flop has been served. If the player has a poker combination from their two-hole cards and the three community cards, they win the side bet. The AA side bet pays the following:

• 7:1 for a Pair of Aces of Higher
• 20:1 for a Flush
• 30:1 for a Full House
• 40:1 for a Four of a Kind
• 50:1 for a Straight Flush
• 100:1 for a Royal Flush

A Basic Casino Hold’em Strategy

There are many different strategies that can be used for Casino Hold’em that can be found on the internet. The strategies will tell you exactly what to do once your two-hole cards have been dealt and the Flop is on the table. The rule of thumb is that you should Call roughly 82% of the time. That means after the Flop has been served, you will only Fold about 18% of the time. Below, we give you the instances where you should Call after the community cards are served:

• If you have a pair
• If you have an open-ended straight draw (only one card missing from either end for a Straight)
• If you have either an Ace or a King
• If you have a Flush draw (only one card required to complete a flush)
• If you have two higher-valued cards than those in the community cards
• If you have a Jack or Queen unless the Flop cards are all of the same suit and don’t match the Jack or Queen

Furthermore, we also advise you to Fold you hole cards in the following circumstances:

• If you have low unpaired cards (no cards that are worth more than 10, no straight or flush draw and no matches with community cards)
• If the flop cards are a pair but your cards are a different suit

These rules will help you win at Casino Hold’em, but you must always keep the cost of the Ante bet in mind.

To win a round of Casino Hold’em, you will have to Call after the Flop. The Call bet costs double the size of your first bet. Thus, if you have an Ante bet of $1, you will be betting $3 per round. This can burn through your bankroll fast, so it is always a good idea to be cautious in setting the size of your Ante bet.

It is also recommended to treat the AA side bet with caution. In the standard Casino Hold’em base game, the house edge is 2.16%. However, for the AA side bet, the house edge increases to around 6.40%. Thus, although the AA can offer massive payouts, it is more difficult to win. This doesn’t mean that you should never place the side bet, it simply means that you must budget carefully for it.  

To Conclude

Casino Hold’em is a great game for poker players who want to play against the house rather than their fellow players. It offers the chance of some serious winnings and with the aid of the above strategy, the house edge is reduced to a minimum. Why not start playing today and see if you can build a Royal Flush?