| AGLC GameSense

So why are there five cards?

Four Card Poker

In Four Card Poker, you receive five cards to make your best four-card hand. The dealer receives six cards to make a four-card poker hand. You decide when to make the play:

Play vs. dealer: play Aces Up, or play both.

Play vs. dealer: bet on the required ante spot to play against the dealer’s hand.

Best four-card hand wins. You win the ties.

If you bet on the ante wager and want to stay in the game after viewing your cards, you must make a play wager at least equal to the ante but may be up to three times the ante. It’s your four-card poker hand against the dealer’s four-card poker hand and the best hand wins! The ante and play bets pay even money.

Play Aces Up: Bet on the Aces Up spot and win when you’re dealt a pair of Aces or better. The Aces Up bonus is always paid-even if the dealer has a better hand.

Automatic Bonuses: The top three hands in the game – four of a kind, straight flush, and three of a kind – receive an Automatic Bonus payout on ante bet. Automatic Bonuses are paid even if the dealer has better four-card hand.

Basic Strategy:

As the strategy indicates, you should fold with anything less than a pair of 3s. This means you may fold four, five, even six hands in a row. Wait for a good hand before making the play bet. You have the opportunity to max out your play bet. The dealer’s average hand is a pair of 9s, so when ever you have 10s or better, you’re favoured to win.

So play for fun: if you lose, consider it the cost of entertainment. For more information on how to play table games, ask a Table Game Dealer, or visit the GameSense Info Centre.