Casino Hold’em rules, gameplay and how to play online
Casino Hold’em is a variation of the popular poker game Texas Hold’em. Both games are easy to learn and offer the rewards of a side bet. Casino Hold’em differs from Texas Hold’em in that you play against the house rather than against other players.
The object of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand by getting the best possible five-card hand out of the two cards you are dealt and five community cards. If you beat the dealer, you win! To add to the excitement, you can also place a side bet, which pays out if a pair of aces or higher is dealt in the first five cards.
How to play Casino Hold’em online
While Casino Hold’em is popular at various casinos around the world, it was not one of the first games adapted to online play, although this has changed in recent years. These days you can play Casino Hold’em at many different online casinos and in two distinct formats — live dealer and random number generated games.
While many countries have regulated online gambling, many have not, or in some cases, like Australia have outright banned real money casinos and the associated games. While it might still be possible to play from these countries, the World Gambling List chooses not to promote illegal brands.
For those of us who can play at real money Casino Hold’em websites, you can follow these steps:
1 – Select an online casino with Casino Hold’em as part of its games line-up.
2 – You can then register an account via a digital form, providing things like your name, address, email, date of birth, and currency.
3 – Funding your online casino account: This involves using a popular digital payment method to put real money into your account. Popular methods include credit and debit cards, web wallets, and even crytpos, although the latter has been outlawed in some places.
4 – Playing Casino Hold’em is straight-forward with a funded account and involves navigating to the live dealer section (if you want a live Casino Hold’em version) or tables games section. Click on the game and begin playing.
5 – An often overlooked part of playing Casino Hold’em for real money is account verification. Often, in many jurisdictions, the account will be auto verified during the registration phase. But if this doesn’t happen automatically, you might need to email in some documents to prove your identity. This process is called KYC or Know Your Customer and is aimed at stamping out money laundering.
Casino Hold’em rules
Casino Hold’em is a five-card poker game using a single 52-card deck. To win, you must beat the dealer by getting a higher five-card hand. You and the dealer can both use community cards to complete a hand.
Play begins when you place an initial bet, the ante bet. You may also place an optional AA+ bet. You win this bet if a pair of aces or higher is dealt in the first five cards.
After you place the ante, two cards are dealt to you face up, two cards are dealt to the dealer face down, and three flop cards are dealt on the table. At this point, you evaluate your hand to decide if you want to continue. If you fold, you forfeit your ante and any AA+ winnings you qualify for. If you call, your call bet is placed at double the ante.
If you call, the last two community cards are dealt and the dealer’s cards are shown. The dealer must have a pair of 4s or higher to qualify. If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, you win, the ante bet is paid out according to the pay table, and the call bet pushes.
If the dealer’s hand qualifies, it is compared to your hand. If the dealer’s hand is lower, you are paid out according to the ante pay table and the call bet pays 1:1. If the dealer’s hand is higher, you lose both your ante and your call bets. Even if you lose against the dealer, you still receive AA+ winnings that you qualify for, paid out according to the AA+ pay table.
When you and the dealer tie, the next highest card that is not part of the paying hand, known as the kicker, determines the winner.
- Dealer has Q/4
- Player has Q/3
- Community cards are 9/9/Q/5/2
The play pushes because the dealer and player both have Two Pairs (a pair of queens and a pair of 9s) and the next highest card, the 5, is in the community cards, acting as the kicker. Neither the dealer nor the player has a high enough card to beat the kicker.
If the player had a Q/7, then the 7 card would be the kicker and the player would win.
Casino Hold’em gameplay
For starters, if you are familiar with Texas Hold’em, it won’t take long to adapt to Casino Hold’em. The gameplay of Casino Hold’em at online casinos mirrors that of land-based venues, and in many cases can simplify it because you are prompted when you need to act. For instance, to help you with the game, various Casino Hold’em games displays messages when you have the option of side bets or when you are about to fold a paying hand.
While Casino Hold’em gameplay can vary depending on the version you’re playing, the general gist of it follows a pattern. Lets take a look at how a game of Casino Hold’em will unfold online.
1. Select a chip value
Choose the chip size you want to wager.
2. Place your Ante bet
Click the Ante betting circle until the number of chips displayed matches the amount you want to bet.
3. (Optional) Place the AA+ side bet
Click the AA+ betting circle to place the bonus side bet.
If you want the side bet to be a different amount from the Ante, switch to another chip value before clicking the AA+ circle again.
4. (Optional) Clear your bets
Click Clear to remove all chips from the table and start again.
5. Click Deal
The Ante must be placed before the cards are dealt.
The Deal
- One card is burned.
- You receive two cards face up and the dealer gets two cards face down.
- Then three community cards are dealt face up (the flop).
- The Call and Fold buttons appear.
Check your cards and choose:
If you Click Call
A Call bet equal to twice your Ante is placed.
The final two community cards are dealt, and the dealer’s hand is revealed.
Then one of the following occurs:
- Win – You beat the dealer’s qualifying hand. A message shows your total payout with a summary of both hands.
(Hover over the Win message for a full breakdown.) - Dealer does not qualify – The dealer’s hand is too weak to qualify, and you win according to the game rules.
- Lose – The dealer’s hand beats yours, and your chips are removed.
- Push – Hands tie; your bets are returned.
Showdown & winner announced
You win if:
- the dealer’s hand does not qualify (dealer does not get a pair of 4s or higher)
- your hand ranks higher than the dealer’s hand. You can view the hand-ranks directly below.
You win the AA+ bet if a pair of aces or higher is dealt in the first five cards..
If you Placed the AA+ Side Bet
Your two cards (plus the flop) are automatically evaluated when you click Call:
- If the AA+ bet wins, your payout is placed next to the AA+ circle and the amount is displayed.
- If it does not qualify, the chips from the AA+ circle are removed.
Casino Hold’em Hands
Paying hands are ranked in descending order, as follows:
| Hand | Definition |
| Royal Flush | The highest hand in poker. It consists of the following cards: 10, jack, queen, king, and an ace all of the same suit. |
| Straight Flush | Five cards in sequence, all of the same suit |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same denomination, one in each suit |
| Full House | Three cards of one denomination and two cards of another denomination |
| Flush | Five cards all of the same suit |
| Straight | Five cards in sequence of any suit |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same denomination and two unmatched cards |
| Two Pairs | Two sets of two cards of the same denomination and any fifth card |
| One Pair | Any hand of two cards of the same denomination and one unmatched card |
| High card | Any hand of three cards of different rank and a variety of suits |
Ante Bet Pay Table
The ante bet pays out at the following odds:
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal Flush | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 20:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10:1 |
| Full House | 3:1 |
| Flush | 2:1 |
| Straight or lower | 1:1 |
Call Bet Payout
When you beat the dealer’s hand, the call bet pays out at even money (1:1).When the dealer’s hand does not qualify, the call bet pushes.
AA + Bet Pay Table
The AA+ bet pays out at the following odds:
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal Flush | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 50:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 40:1 |
| Full House | 30:1 |
| Flush | 20:1 |
| Straight | 7:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 7:1 |
| Two Pairs | 7:1 |
| Pair of Aces | 7:1 |
| Other | Nothing |
