How to Improve Your Four Card Poker Strategy
The Shuffle Master team developed the Four Card Poker game, invented by the same creative minds that gave us games like Mississippi Stud Poker and Three Card Poker. It is very similar to Three Card Poker, but as the name suggests, it uses an additional card. In this guide, we’ll show you how to play the game and discuss Four Card Poker strategy to ensure you’re primed to score some big hands!
How to Play 4 Card Poker
The first thing you will notice about the Four Card Poker game is that there are five card spaces in front of you and six in front of the dealer. Despite this, the goal is to make the best four-card hand. The dealer’s extra card creates the house edge, with the other being the ante, with the money going to the house when you fold.
The player’s cards are dealt face up; the same is true for one of the dealer’s cards, with the other five being dealt face down. Your goal is simply to beat the dealer, but a separate paytable (often shown on the table on either side of the card spaces) gives you specific payouts for certain hand combinations.
Four Card Poker Rules
You have two options to start every Four Card Poker game. You can place either (or both) of these options, but you must choose at least one to begin:
- Ante: Place a bet to get your five cards. Once they have been dealt, you can play for an additional wager of 1-3x or fold for no extra cost and end the hand.
- Aces Up: A side bet that pays even money if you have a pair of aces. This payout increases for stronger hands, from 3:1 for two pairs to 50:1 for a four-of-a-kind. The bet loses if your hand is weaker than a pair of aces.
- Progressive Jackpot: At some casinos, you can place an additional wager to have a chance of winning the progressive jackpot. It usually costs $1, and you’ll win the full amount if you score a royal flush, with fixed payouts and jackpot percentages available for lesser hands. Your chances of a royal flush are slim, so don’t pin all your hopes on this.
Tips for Playing the Four Card Poker Game
Four Card Poker is a very simple game. If you understand the levels of poker hands and know some poker basics (what beats what, which hands can improve, etc.), you’re off to a great start. From there, it’s just about taking your chances, hoping for a big hand, and then basing your bet on the strength of that hand:
- Fold if you don’t have a pair or better
- Bet 1x on anything up to a pair of 9s
- Bet 3x on a pair of 10s or better
You can consider the dealer’s upcard in your Four Card Poker strategy, but this is not blackjack, and a single card doesn’t tell you much about the strength of their hand. You could adjust your bet if you have a pair and the dealer’s upcard is higher, such as if you have a pair of jacks and the dealer is showing an ace. It means they have a higher chance of showing a pair of aces or better. But they could also turn a straight or a flush or end up with nothing but a high card.
What is the House Edge in Four Card Poker?
The house edge in the Four Card Poker game is about 4%, but it depends on the player’s strategy and the size of the payouts in the paytable. The edge is created because the dealer has an extra card and will always win the hand when the player folds.
Can You Play Free Four Card Poker?
Yes, some apps let you play a free Four Card Poker game to help you learn and familiarize yourself with the rules.
Four Card Poker Variety: Similar Games
Three Card Poker is the closest match to Four Card Poker. It’s basically the same game — a condensed poker variant played against the house — that uses fewer cards. As discussed above, there are numerous other casino games created by Shuffle Master that you may enjoy, including Mississippi Stud Poker, Casino War, and Let It Ride.
Summary: Four Card Poker Strategy
Four Card poker is a simple poker variant that pits the player against the casino in a heads-up game. The house edge is around 4%, and the player has some very straightforward betting options, including placing an ante or an aces-up side bet.
As with other casino games, there is no perfect Four Card Poker strategy that will flip the house edge, but there are certainly more optimal ways of playing the game to keep this edge as low as possible, including giving up a hand when you don’t catch at least a pair and betting big when you have something good.
To learn more about poker variants and the strategies involved, check out our guide to a gutshot in poker and discover why it earned its name and how you should handle a draw like this.
Poker Common Queries
What is the best hand in 4 Card Poker?
A royal flush is the best hand. It is a straight flush from Jack to Ace.
Can you win at 4 Card Poker?
Yes, of course, but don’t forget there is a house edge.
How to deal Crazy 4 Poker?
In Crazy 4 Poker, five cards are dealt to both the player and the dealer.
What is four card poker called?
Other poker variations may be played with four cards, but this game is known simply as Four Card Poker.
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