If you are looking to play casino card games that can be quite a bit more entertaining than traditional poker, then 4 card poker is one of the best options. Unlike other casino poker games, in 4 Card Poker you are playing against the dealer and not another player. Having a stronger hand than the dealer is the main objective in this game. This article will help you learn the basic rules of this popular casino poker game, as well as some simple Four Card Poker strategy and payouts.
Before the cards are dealt in this game players make an independent wager on either the Aces Up or Ante sections of the table. They can also place a combined wager on both. Once they do this their cards are dealt and they will attempt to make the strongest 4-card poker hand possible. There are some additional wagers that can be made on this game, such as the “Play” bet, which is anywhere from 1x to 3x the value of the ante. These bets are paid based on a separate pay table.
After the hands are compared with each other, if the player has a better hand than the dealer’s they will win both the Play and Ante bets. If the player’s hand is tied with the dealer’s then they will lose both bets. In some cases, a fifth card is used to break ties but this is not the norm and is mostly utilized in high limit games.
The strength of your hands in this game is determined by the number of cards you have and their rank. A pair of 10s is the lowest possible hand, while a Royal Flush is the highest. While it is tempting to try to hit a high meld as often as possible, you should aim for pairs, triples, and quadruples when possible, as these will greatly increase the value of your hand.
Once the players have a good idea of their hands they must decide to raise or fold. If they choose to raise they will do so by placing a Play bet of one to three times their ante. If they raise and their hand is higher than the dealer’s they will win both bets. If they raise and their hand is lower than the dealer’s then they will lose both their ante and play bets.
The aces up bet in this game is usually a poor choice, as the house edge of this bet is significantly higher than that of the ante bet. When combined with the aforementioned pay-out schedule this bet has a house edge of over three percent, so it is wise to avoid making this wager.