Casino Hold 'Em

Last update: Sept. 24, 2007

Introduction

Casino Hold 'Em is a poker variation, similar to Texas Hold 'Em, that is played in Egypt, Russia, South Africa, Holland, Latvia, Estonia, Ireland, Morocco, Malta, Ukraine, Panama, and Romania. It is also available to play online at casinos using Net Gaming, Real Time Gaming, and Playtech software.

Rules

The rules are as follows.

1. Play begins with each player making an ante wager.
2. Two cards are dealt face down to each player and dealer. The player may examine his own cards. The dealer will also deal three communinity cards (called the flop) in the center of the table.
3. Each player must decide to either fold or call. If the player folds he gives up his cards and his ante bet. If the player calls, the call must be equal to two times the ante bet.
4. The dealer will then deal two more community cards, for a total of five. The dealer will also turn over his own two cards.
5. The player hand shall be scored according the highest poker value of the player's two cards and the five community cards. Likewise, the dealer shall use his own two cards and the five community cards.
6. The dealer must have a pair of fours or better to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify then the ante will pay according to the ante pay table below and the call bet will push.
7. If the dealer qualifies and beats the player then the player will lose both the ante and call.
8. If the dealer qualifies and the player beats the dealer then the ante will pay according to the Ante pay table below and the call bet will pay 1 to 1.
9. If the dealer qualifies and the player ties the dealer then both ante and call bets will push.

House Edge

The following table shows the number of combination, probability, and contribution to the return of all possible outcomes under ante pay table 3, which I'm told is the most frequently used. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 2.16%.

The only pay table fully analyzed is pay table 3, because it takes my computer about a month to cycle through all possible combinations. However, assuming the player was following optimal strategy under pay table 3 but playing under pay table 1 or 2 then the house edge under pay table 1 would be 2.40%, and under pay table 2 would be 1.96%. The actual house edge under pay tables 1 and 2 would be slightly less or equal to these figures.

Strategy

Unfortunately there is no easy way to quantify optimal strategy for this game. I can say the optimal strategy player will raise 82% of the time. So only in the worst 18% of hands should the player fold. In general these are when the player has two singletons in the hole that are low compared to the flop, with little or no chance for a straight or flush.

Side Bets

I am aware of two side bets, known as the AA+ as follows. Both are based on the poker value of the player's two cards and the three flop cards.

In version 1 a flush or higher pays 25 to 1 and a pair of aces to a straight pays 7 to 1. Following is the return table. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 6.40%.

Version 2 has the following return table. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 6.26%.

Methodology

The above analysis was performed using a brute force combinatorial program that analyzed all 27,813,810,024,000 possible outcomes, and played every hand according to optimal player strategy. It took my computers about a month to crank though the 27.8 trillion hands.

The web site for Casino Hold'em, as well as other games, is www.casinopokergames.com.

There is a good Casino Hold 'Em calculator at beatingbonuses.com.