Poker is definitely one of the more popular and well known of the casino game classics around the world. As such many variations of the game have developed over the decades and now with the capabilities of online gaming players can find and play most of these Poker variations easily through their computers, laptops, mobiles or tablets.
Definitely an easy time to get casino gaming and especially Poker playing. One such variation of the great classic is Four card poker, a relatively new version of the game invented by Roger Snow and currently owned by the Shuffle Master group. Similar to three card poker this game features an Aces Up ante bet that allows players to wager specifically on the outcome of their own hand, regardless of that of the dealer’s.
Details and Gameplay of Four Card Poker
The first thing to note with Four card poker is that the game is played between just the player and the dealer, making it an ideal version for online play. Secondly, unlike many other variations, where the final number of cards in a hand is 5, this game features just the 4, ergo changing a bit of the ranking possibilities. This results in the highest hand being a four of a kind, with the straight flush following after.
Then comes the three of a kind, the flush, the straight and finally two pair, one pair and high card. The reason for the lower than normal rankings on the straight flush, the straight and the flush is that there are only four cards to comprise the hand from, so a collective hands like that aren’t as statically unlikely as the 5 card variations and therefore ranked lower on the spectrum.
Otherwise the game of Four card poker starts out with the dealer dealing 5 cards to the player and 5 face down cards to themselves as well as one face up card. This additional cards shifts the house edge toward the dealer but also enables the opportunity for ante bets or Aces Up. This effectively is a side bet separate from the actual game, and even of the player loses the match up against the dealer they can still win with this bet. Essentially anything greater than a pair of aces rewards with this Aces Up bet, with each possible hand offering up their own unique odds. This can make for some exciting additional winning possibilities.
Strategies for Four Card Poker and Gaming Responsibly
While ultimately the players will be able to figure out the possible strategies for playing Four card poker as they garner experience in the game, the owners Shuffle Master have on occasion posted some basic strategies on their tables. These basically suggest when, or when not, to play the Aces Up ante bet. It says, when sitting with a pair of twos or less don’t play the ante bet, a pair of 3s up to a pair of 9s and players should bet a 1 times ante, whilst anything better ranked than that players should bet up to 3 times ante.
Four card poker seems like some quality fun, but players still need to be conscious if the fact that casino gaming means responsible gaming, and should therefore take care not to take it all too seriously, not to overindulge and ultimately play the games, like any others, safely.