Believed to have originated in the 19th century U.S., Poker is a great casino classic to try your hands at. Over the years, the casino gaming world has introduced several exciting Poker variations. And one of them is Four Card Poker. Continue reading as we explore Poker’s basics and explain how to play the game online.
Origins of Four-Card Poker
Four Card Poker is a relatively new Poker game compared to other Poker variants like Texas Hold ’em and Caribbean Stud Poker. It was developed in the early 2000s by Roger Snow of Shuffle Master, which is now a part of Scientific Games.
While some players may be new to the name Scientific Games, every card player has likely seen their products in action. After all, they’re a leading provider of shuffling machines and card shoes to several top land-based casinos in the U.S. and around the world. Also, they have an excellent portfolio of highly engaging online slots and casino table games.
Now that you know the Poker history of the Four-Card variant, let’s look at how the game is played.
How to play Four Card Poker?
As with all other Video Poker games, the basic premise of Four Card Poker is simple. In Four Card Poker, your main aim is to have a four-card hand whose ranking is equal to or higher than the dealer’s hand. Below is what a typical gameplay round of Four Card Poker looks like.
At the start of each Four Card Poker round, all players are required to make the initial Ante wager. When playing at a land-based venue, players must place their initial bet in the Ante or Ace Up slot on the table. In the case of RNG-based online Four Card Poker, they come with dedicated buttons for that.
After this, the dealer deals five cards each to all players. But they draw six cards for themselves. At this point, the dealer’s cards are face-down, with the only exception being the sixth card drawn.
Players must decide which of the following wagering options they wish to go with – fold or raise. Players who choose to raise must place a wager 1 to 3 times their initial stake size. And players who opt to fold don’t need to wager anything as they’re out of the round.
The best Poker books explain that players then use their five cards to form the best four-card hand. Here, the dealer also develops their best four-card hand using the six cards that are dealt to them. Finally, a comparison between the dealer’s hand and the player’s hand is made, and winners are paid accordingly.
Paytable for Four-Card Poker
Here are the pay tables for the automatic bonus and the aces up wager in Four Card Poker:
Automatic bonus paytable
In Four Card Poker, an automatic bonus is paid to players who’ve placed the ante wager and the play wager, and their hand is one of the top three hands. Note that the automatic bonus is paid at most online casinos, irrespective of what the dealer holds.
Four of a Kind
25 to 1
Straight Flush
20 to 1
Three-of-a-kind
2 to 1
Aces up paytable
This wager is won if you receive a pair of Aces or better. Again, the Aces Up wager is paid irrespective of the dealer’s position. The payout for this wagering option is as follows:
Four of a Kind
50 to 1
Straight Flush
40 to 1
Three-of-a-kind
8 to 1
Flush
5 to 1
Straight Flush
4 to 1
Two Pair
3 to 1
Pair of Aces
1 to 1
Four Card Poker house edge and strategy
The casino advantage for the initial bet in Four Card Poker stands at around 2.79%. And it’s around 1.35 for the ante, Poker blinds, and raise wagers combined. Of course, the house edge is devised by assuming that you’re making mathematically optimal decisions in the game.
The Aces Up bet, which offers pretty lucrative payouts, comes with a house edge of 3.89%. As such, many players tend to refer to it as the “sucker” bet. But it’s not the worst bet type compared to some specific bet types in games like Keno and Craps.
Speaking about the Four Card Poker strategy, many players follow a basic playing system. Here, you raise the max (3x your initial wager) if you get a pair of 10s or better. And your increase your wager size by the minimum (1x your ante) if you’ve got a pair of 2s through 10s. If you don’t have any of the above hands, you opt to fold.
If you want to know more about Four Card Poker tips and strategies, check out our online Poker tips to use in the game.