Four card poker

FOUR CARD POKER
General Description
It is considered that the inventor of this game is Roger Snow from the company Shuffle Master. It resembles the Three Card Poker with some differences though. The standard 52 cards deck is used for this game and specially marked table.
The goal of the game
The goal of the game is to get better hand ranking than the dealers’ one and to make Acer Up simultaneously.
Hands
As players use just four cards, the rankings of hands are different in this variety of poker from the ones that are standard in five card variety of poker. Here the hands are listed:
• Four of a Kind – four cards of the similar rank
• Straight Flush – four cards if the same suit in a row
• Three of a Kind – three cards of the similar rank
• Flush – four cards of the same suit
• Straight – four cards of various suits in sequence
• Two Pairs – two cards of the same value and two cards of other value
• Pair – two cards of the same value
• High card – high card in the player’s/dealer’s possession.
It is not hard to see the main differences in standard rankings: Four of a Kind is higher than Straight of Flush and Three of a Kind is higher than Flush and Straight. This is explained by the frequency of this hand in four card variety of poker.
Bets
Four Card Poker makes two kinds of bets available, which do not depend upon each other.
Ante/Play – these are the basic bets of the player that either win or lose after hands are ranked against the dealer’s hands. Ante plays the role of initial bet and Play is selected in case the player goes on playing. The amount of the bet is chosen by the player within one-three Ante. These both bets are paid out 1:1 if you win.
Aces Up – this is not mandatory bet, which wins of the players receives a pair of Aces or higher hand. It can be made without Ante, but when both bets are made, the amount must be equal to the amount of Ante. At this the payout takes place even when the main bet of the players loses.
Aces Up payments can differ considerably (and the ratio of payments is not proportional), therefore the range of potential ratio is given to you below:
• Four of Kind – 50:1
• Straight Flush – 30-40:1
• Three of a Kind – 7-9:1
• Flush – 6:1
• Straight – 4-5:1
• Pair of Aces – 1:1
You should learn about the ratio in a particular casino before you start playing in it.
How to play
All players bet on Ante, Aces Up or on both of them ( in this case the bets must be of the same size). The dealer shuffles the cards and every player receives 5 cards in his possession (in spite of the fact that the game is called Four Card Poker. The dealer leaves 6 cards with one of them Face Down.
The players and the dealer form their hands, but they can use only four cards. One of the main characteristic features of this type of poker is the lack of dealers’ game. That means that the cards will be ranked against the dealer’s hands in any case unless the players fold them.
The players assess their cards, taking into account the community card from the dealer and make the decision either to refuse from games, losing all their bets at that, including Acer Up, or to go on playing, making the additional bet Play. After all players make the decision, the dealer reveals his cards. When Aces Up wins, it is immediately paid.
Then the hands are ranked against the dealer’s hand. In case of victory Ante and Play are paid 1:1 and in the event of the loss, the casino wins the game. In the event of tie, the player is recognized as a winner. At that only 4 senior cards are regarded while the strength of the rest is not considered at all.
Bonus
The players can get bonus as well in four card poker and they should not do additional bet for that. Bonus is paid if the player gets one of the following hands: Four of a Kind, Straight Flush or Three of a Kind.
The bonus payouts vary in different casinos therefore the table with potential ratio (Ante).
• Four of a Kind – 25-30:1
• Straight Flush – 20-15:1
• Three of a Kind – 2:1
Bonus is paid regardless of the fact that your hand is beaten by the dealer.
Basic strategy
The strategy in Four Card Poker is not that hard.
If you have a Pair of Tens or higher then bet three times your Ante.
If you have a Pair of Threes – a Pair of Nines – then bet your Ante.
If you have a Pair of Twos or Lower then we fold cards.
The casino’s edge at Ante/Play reaches about 3% (the fluctuations depend upon the bonus payments). The casino’s edge at Aces Up varies from 4 to 6 %.