Tired of opponents berating your decisions at the poker table? In Casino Hold’em, it’s just you versus the dealer. However, some rules differ considerably from the traditional game. Don’t worry, though – this guide will teach you how to play like a pro.
Texas Hold ’em Poker put America on the casino gaming map. But, unlike most casino games, this classic card game is usually played against other players, not the house.
But for some gamers, this is a problem. Some opponents will complain if you take too long to act, and others may even scold you for making a “poor” decision.
Luckily, Casino Hold’em doesn’t have these issues. As a pit game, it’s just you against the dealer. And unlike Texas Hold’em, your decisions are much easier.
Nonetheless, you may need to familiarize yourself with some rules and terms. In this guide, we’ll get you up to speed, so you can maximize your wins and minimize your losses at an online casino.
Let’s get started!
The object of Casino Hold’em is to make the best five-card poker hand. But to play, you must post an ante. Then, if you like your hand, you have to wager again on the flop.
When should you post your ante or continue post-flop? We’ll get into that later in this guide.
If you’re new to Casino Hold’em, you might be unfamiliar with its lingo. So before we jump into things like gameplay, let’s define some common terms:
| Term | What It Means |
| 🤠 Ante | If you want to play a hand of Casino hold em, you will need to make this wager first. |
| 💰 Bankroll | Money set aside for gaming purposes. |
| 💵 Call | A wager that keeps you in the hand post-flop. This bet is worth x2 the ante. |
| ♠️ Casino Hold Em | A pit game based on Texas hold em. It was invented by Stephen Au-Yeung, and made its debut in the year 2000. |
| 🂡 🃇🃓🂾🃛 Community Cards | The five cards you can use (combined with two hole cards) to make the best poker hand possible. |
| 🎣 Draw | A hand one card short of a straight or a flush. |
| 🂡 🃇🃓 Flop | The first three community cards. The dealer deals them after you post the ante. |
| 🃏🚫 Fold | Surrendering a hand on the flop. If you do this, you lose your ante bet. |
| 🂠🂠 Hole Cards | The two cards dealt to you after posting your ante. |
| 🏠 House Edge | The advantage a gaming site has over players. Assume the house edge is 2%. If you wager $1/hand over 100 rounds, the house will (on average) make a $2 profit over that span. However, due to short-term luck, players could turn a profit over the same period. |
| 🏃 Kicker | The highest card in a hand after a pair. If both you and the dealer have the same hand, the kicker decides the winner. |
| 🂡 🃇🃓🂾🃛 River | The fifth and final community card. After this card is dealt, you show down your hand against the dealer. If yours is better, you win! |
Do you have a good hand or not? To know this, you must understand poker hand rankings. The table below will sort poker hands from weakest to strongest.
| Hand Type | Example |
| High Card | A-Q-9-5-3 |
| One Pair | A-A-9-5-3 |
| Two Pair | A-A-Q-Q-3 |
| Three Of A Kind | A-A-A-5-3 |
| Straight | A-K-Q-J-10 |
| Flush | Any five cards of the same suit (A-Q-9-5-3, all diamonds) |
| Full House | A-A-A-Q-Q |
| Four Of A Kind | A-A-A-A-3 |
| Straight Flush | A straight with all cards of the same suit (6-5-4-3-2, all diamonds) |
| Royal Flush | The best possible straight flush (A-K-Q-J-10, all of the same suit). An unbeatable hand. |
A Casino hold’em round begins with the dealer asking players to post antes. To be dealt cards, you must post an ante.
Once you do this, the dealer will deal two hole cards to you and themselves. And then, they’ll deal the flop. At this point, compare your hole cards to the board (the current community cards) – should you continue?
If yes, then call (a bet that’s 2x the ante). Otherwise, fold (we’ll discuss the finer points of calling/folding in the next section.)
If you call, the dealer will deal the turn & river. After that, the dealer will reveal their cards. If you possess a stronger hand, you win!
The amount won depends on the strength of your hand. Below, we’ll list approximate ante bet payouts:
| Hand Type | Payout |
| Straight or worse | 1:1 |
| Flush | 2:1 |
| Full House | 3:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10:1 |
| Straight Flush | 20:1 |
| Royal Flush | 100:1 |
Note: these payouts are industry averages – actual payouts vary from game to game. Regardless of hand strength, all call bets are paid out at 1:1.
Casino Hold’em differs significantly from Texas Hold’em and other player vs. player poker variants. As such, some strategies from the latter game, like bluffing, cannot be used.
When playing Hold ’em Poker at a live casino site, consider the following tips.
Side bets like AA+/Pair Plus may be available on some Casino Hold’em titles. These options, while offering attractive payouts, massively favour the house.
On average, casino poker games have a house edge of around 2%. However, this advantage can expand to 6.5% if you make side bets.
Unlike Texas Hold’em, you’re effectively playing 100% of hands (thanks to the ante and the lack of pre-flop action).
So on the flop, you should call 82% of the time. That’s any pair, all draws, Jack High hands or better, and overcards (two cards higher than the highest community card).
Fold Ten High hands that are drawless.
When you’re on a hot streak, it’s easy to start posting big antes. But remember: to call post-flop, you’ll need to wager twice that amount. If things go south for you, betting too much can destroy your bankroll.
