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Copyright 2005 Casino City.
December 4, 2005
HEADLINE:
Four Card Poker 101
Author: Mr. Mark Pilarski
Body:
Dear Mark,
A while back you wrote a very informative column on Three Card
Poker. I have noticed there is what looks like the same game called
Four Card Poker. Any chance you can write about their similarities
and/or differences? Jim F.
Your question, Jim, is one of many I have received of late regarding
Four Card Poker. So today, I’ll address the generalities
of the game, with a future column focused on a game plan to lower
the house edge.
Rehashing Three Card Poker: it’s a poker-based game that
uses just three cards per hand and is played on a blackjack table.
Its major differences from poker are that no further cards are
drawn, and players do not compete against each other, but rather
against either the dealer, or against a posted payout schedule.
As to the rules, strategies, house edge, etc., please refer to
the column Jim mentioned online at this website (http://markpilarski.com/column2-2.html).
Four Card Poker has some similarities to Three Card Poker, Jim,
but as its name suggests, four cards make your final hand instead
of three. Furthermore, there is no dealer qualifying hand as in
Three Card. You get one additional card to make your best 4-card
hand, and you can raise your ante up to three times. However,
the hook, and you knew there would be one, is that the dealer
gets one extra card to form his or her best hand. Thus, all players
begin with five cards to make their best 4-card hand, and the
dealer starts with six.
Four Card Poker offers three ways to play. You can bet against
the dealer, wager on the value of your own hand against a paytable,
or both.
When playing against the dealer, game called the Ante wager,
the object is to beat the dealer's four-card poker hand with your
own four-card poker hand. Once you place an Ante wager and view
your hand, you can either fold, or, if you believe your hand is
strong enough to beat the dealer's, you make a Play wager. This
bet can be from one to three times the value of the Ante bet.
If the dealer’s hand is higher than the player’s,
both the Ante and Play bets lose. If the player's hand is higher
or equal to the dealer’s, then both bets are paid even money.
A player who has at least a three-of-a-kind or better is paid
a bonus, regardless of the value of the dealer's hand.
Based on the amount of ante, the Bonus paytable, which can vary
from casino to casino, is as follows:
Four-of-a-kind: 25 to 1
Straight Flush: 20 to 1
Three-of-a-kind: 2 to 1
[see more poker odds]
When playing against the paytable, (aka Aces Up, similar the
Pair Plus in Three Card Poker), the object is to receive a pair
of aces or higher. If your hand contains at least a pair of aces,
you automatically win the Aces Up wager regardless of the dealer's
hand.
Again, depending upon the casino, here is your typical Aces Up
paytable:
Four-of-a-kind: 50 to 1
Straight Flush: 40 to 1
Three-of-a-kind: 8 to 1
Flush: 6 to 1
Straight: 5 to 1
Two pair: 2 to 1
Pair of aces or better: 1 to 1
[see more poker odds]
As you can see, Jim, the player who bets both the Ante (including
Play) and Aces Up, is playing against two paytables with different
payoff criteria. Also, the Ante and Aces Up wagers do not have
to be the same amount, and players can wager anywhere from the
table minimum to the table maximum allowed on either spot. However,
the Play wager can be only one to three times the amount of the
Ante.
I’m bustin’ my word-limit here, Jim, so a more detailed
column on strategy and the house edge, which is based on paytables
and play, is in the offing. For now, memorize these simple rules
for a head start.
Fold with less than a pair of 2s.
Raise one unit with pair of 3s-9s.
With a pair of 10s or greater, raise the maximum, three units.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "To have the reputation
of being a sucker, with everybody in the world throwing their
money at me trying to win mine, would be my idea of earthly paradise."
--Doyle Brunson "Super
System"
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