Casino Hold’em Video Poker: How to Play, Strategy, Tips
Casino Hold'em is a fascinating video poker game that is hugely popular at land casinos and online casinos alike.
Similar in some respects to video poker games like Jacks or Better, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Caribbean Stud Poker & more, Casino Hold'em is played against the house rather than fellow players.
This makes it a brilliant learning game and a fantastic introduction to the world of online poker.
In this article, you can learn the following about Casino Hold'em:
How to Play Casino Hold’em Online?
Looking for a simple guide to how to play Casino Hold'em online? Look no further!
Casino Hold’em rules are similar to the ones of Texas Hold’em Poker. Except you don’t play against other players. Your goal is to beat the dealer like in most Casino games.
Thus, many players simply call it a Casino-style Texas Hold’em Poker. But generally, you will find it online and offline as Casino Hold’em.y
Want to learn how to play video poker? Check out our easy-to-understand Beginner's Guide to Video Poker!
Casino Hold’em Rules
Casino Hold’em games include the standard 52-card deck.
You start playing by making an ante bet. It’s a forced wager you need to make before the flop.
You can also make a side bet. In Casino Hold’em it’s known as AA (Bonus) bet.
Once you set your wagers, both you and the dealer get two hole cards each.
When you play Casino Hold’em online, you play alone. In some multi-hand versions, you can play two or three hands at the same time.
When you play at a brick-and-mortar Casino, the number of players can vary. Players come and go.
Once the players’ cards are dealt, the flop with community cards follows.
If you’re not familiar with Poker terms, the flop is the first three cards that are dealt face up on the table.
These cards are called community cards because all the players and the dealer can use them to make a five-card hand with the highest rank.
And that’s what you need to do if you want to win.
Once you see the flop, you have two options:
- to call - to bet and continue playing
- to fold - to discard your hand and wait for another round
Calling requires a bet that’s twice the size of your ante. But you can’t win if you don’t call.
When you fold online, the game skips to the next bet without revealing the remaining cards or the dealer’s cards.
You lose, the house wins.
When you call, the remaining two community cards are dealt.
Then the dealer’s cards go face up and you see the outcome of the game - who has a better hand and takes home the pot.
Casino Hold’em Hand Ranking
From the highest to the lowest, Casino Hold’em hands go like this:
| Casino Hold’em Hand | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 in the same suit | A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥ |
| Straight Flush | Five cards in the same suit, all in a rank sequence | J♠10♠9♠8♠7♠ |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same rank | Q♣Q♠Q♥Q♦2♣ |
| Full House | Three of a Kind and a Pair | Q♥Q♠Q♣K♣K♠ |
| Flush | Five cards in the same suit | Q♦10♦9♦7♦4♦ |
| Straight | Five cards a rank sequence | 8♠7♥6♦5♦4♣ |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank | J♣J♠J♥9♣7♥ |
| Two Pair | Two pairs of different ranks | 7♦7♥5♠5♥2♦ |
| Pair | Two cards of the same rank | A♣A♠K♥J♥9♦ |
| High Card | Highest card when no higher hand is available | A♠J♥8♦5♠2♣ |
Royal Flush is the best possible hand you can have when you combine your hand with the community cards. Whereas a pair of Aces is the best hole cards you can get.
But don’t you worry if that’s not exactly what you have in your hand.
There’s more to Casino Hold’em than the best possible cards.
Casino Hold’em Outcomes and Payouts
As there are three bets in the game (ante, raise, and AA), you win each bet under certain conditions.
Ante Bet
You win ante bet if your hand beats the dealer’s hand.
You receive one of the following payouts, based on where does your hand rank:
| Your Hand | Ante Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 20 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10 to 1 |
| Full House | 3 to 1 |
| Flush | 2 to 1 |
| Straight or lower | 1 to 1 |
Raise Bet
In order to win most, not only you have to have a good hand but the dealer has to have a decent hand, too.
In Poker terms, the dealer needs to qualify. In the game of Casino Hold’em the dealer qualifies with a Pair of Fours or better.
If your hand beats the dealer’s but the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify - the raise bet is a push - you get your wager back but you don’t win.
Thus, you win the raise bet only if the dealer qualifies and you beat their hand. When that happens, the raise bet pays 1 to 1.
Casino Hold’em outcomes in a nutshell:
| Dealer qualifies | Dealer doesn’t qualify | |
|---|---|---|
| Your hand beats the dealer's hand | You win both ante and raise bets | You win ante bet, raise bet is a push |
| Your hand doesn’t beat the dealer's hand | You lose both ante and raise bets | You win ante bet but lose the raise bet |
| Both your and dealer’s hands are equal | Both ante and raise bets are a push | Both ante and raise bets are a push |
AA (Bonus) Bet
Unlike ante and raise bets, AA bonus bet is not related to your hand beating the dealer’s or the dealer’s hand qualifying.
It’s considering only your hand the flop (first three community cards).
If during this stage your hand is a Pair of Aces or better, you win AA bet. The payouts are pretty sweet, too:
| Your Hand | AA Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 40 to 1 |
| Full House | 30 to 1 |
| Flush | 20 to 1 |
| Pair of Aces to Straight | 7 to 1 |
You know whether you win AA bet before you know the final outcome of the game.
No matter what are the remaining community cards, you can only win AA bet if your hand is a Pair of Aces or better during the flop.
The Best Casino Hold'em Strategy
Approximately, Casino Hold’em has a house edge of up to 2.5 percent. That’s not the best odds at a Casino.
But not the worst ones either.
It’s more difficult to come up with a simple basic strategy that games like Blackjack or Pontoon have.
But not everything is lost when playing online.
Yes, calculating the probability of whether you will get favorable cards after the flop or not would be a pain. But it’s nothing for a computer.
And you are already on one!
Open a Hold’em Strategy calculator in a separate window, type in what cards you have and what community cards are dealt. The computer will advise you whether you should call (raise) or fold.
I have to admit, it won’t be that easy to switch between tabs on a smartphone. And to take time to check every hand will be impossible if you play Casino Hold’em live.
But if you use it frequently enough when playing online, you will start noticing the probability of some cards and have a better feeling when to call or fold.
What is Live Casino Hold'em?
Like many other Casino games, you can also play Casino Hold’em live.
It means you will still be playing at an online Casino but not against the random number generator.
A real dealer will be dealing your cards and talking to you via a computer or a smartphone screen in real-time.
That’s a good alternative if you need human contact when playing Casino games online.
However, remember: the pace of live dealer games is a lot faster in comparison to when you play against the online game.
The Best Online Casinos to Play Casino Hold'em
Once you know how to play Casino Hold’em, you need to know where.
You can consider sites to play for free, as Social Casinos offer excellent free games to many.
But when you want to play for money, you need to look further.
You need a place that’s a) trustworthy (safe and secure, licensed and regulated), b) has a Casino Hold’em game in their collection, and c) is available at your location.
So, how about one of these online Casinos?
Find a full guide to The Best Online Casinos for Video Poker here!
Casino Hold'em Video Poker - FAQs
What is Casino Hold'em?
Casino Hold'em is a variant of poker that you play against the house. It is a relatively new game, but it has quickly become popular because it is easy to learn and play.
How do you play Casino Hold'em?
The goal of Casino Hold'em is to beat the dealer's hand. You start by placing an ante bet and (optionally) an AA bonus bet. Then, you and the dealer are each dealt two cards. If you like your hand, you can call the bet by placing a bet that is twice the size of your ante bet. If you don't like your hand, you can fold and lose your ante bet.
What are the payouts in Casino Hold'em?
The payouts in Casino Hold'em depend on the strength of your hand and whether or not the dealer qualifies. The dealer qualifies if they have a pair of fours or better. If your hand beats the dealer's hand, you win your ante bet and raise bet. If the dealer qualifies and your hand beats theirs, you win your ante bet and raise bet at 1:1. If the dealer qualifies and your hand doesn't beat theirs, you lose both your ante bet and raise bet. If the dealer doesn't qualify, you win your ante bet and your raise bet is a push (you get your money back).
What is the AA bonus bet in Casino Hold'em?
The AA bonus bet is a side bet that you can place before you see the flop. If your hand is a pair of aces or better on the flop, you win the AA bonus bet. The payouts for the AA bonus bet are as follows:
- Royal Flush: 100 to 1
- Straight Flush: 50 to 1
- Four of a Kind: 40 to 1
- Full House: 30 to 1
- Flush: 20 to 1
- Pair of Aces to Straight: 7 to 1
Where can I play Casino Hold'em?
You can play Casino Hold'em at many online casinos. You can also play it at some land-based casinos.
Casino Content Executive