Mike's Rules To Casino Poker Variants

General Rules

1. Always check the rules of the casino you are in. While in most cases, casinos stick to the same set of rules, this is not always the case.
2. There are three types of casino poker variants:
   1. Regular poker games are not always offered in every casino. When they are offered, they are typically found in their own area, usually called the Poker Room.
   2. Table Games are the games played at tables in the main part of the casino (Blackjack, Craps, etc.), and the ones that are poker variants are focused on in these pages.
   3. Video Poker much like slot machines, these games are pretty self explanatory, and are not covered here.
3. Vigorish also know as vig is the house's edge, i.e. the percentage of each bet the house gets. For example, look at roulette: there are 38 numbers on the wheel (0, 00, and 1-36), you can bet on any one of them, and if your number hits, you get paid 35:1. The true odds, however, are 37:1. This difference is the house's edge, which in this case means they make 5.26% on every bet. All table games have a vigorish, and if you are trying to win money, you want games with the lowest vig.

The Poker Room

• One can expect to find the following games here:
  • 7 Stud
  • 7 Stud High-low, Cards Talk, 8 Or Better Low
  • Texas Hold'Em
• Because the rules for these games can be found on other pages, they will not be included here. There are, however, some differences worth noting here:
  • The Rake - the house does not play, but takes a percentage of the pot. This is usually 10% if there are 5 or more players and 5% if there are less. It is very rare to see a table stay open in a casino with only 4 players, and they almost always close with less than 4.
  • Unlike home games, if you are playing for fun or for any other reason then to win money, then you are in the minority. Most everyone in that room is there to make money. The people that are not, are merely wallets for those who are.
  • Unlike home games, other players are impatient, especially at the Hold'Em tables. Be prepared for hostility if you slow down play.
  • Anteing/Betting Rounds:
    • Stud games - in most casinos instead of anteing, the player with the lowest card showing after the initial deal has to open (bring-in) the hand for at least the minimum bet at the table. Ties are broken by suite, in alphabetical order; thus clubs are the lowest and spades are the highest. All other betting rounds start with the player with the highest hand showing. In case of a tie the player closest to the dealer's left leads the betting round.
    • Texas Hold'Em - there are two blind openers, the Big and Little blinds. These rotate around the table. The big blind is usually the minimum bet at the table, and the little blind is always for half the big blind. The little blind is positioned to the "dealer's" left, and the big blind to the little blind's left -- note the the "deal" rotates, even though the dealer is always dealing the cards. The first round of betting starts with the player to the big blind's left and ends with the big blind, which means that the big blind can raise the bet even if everyone only called the initial blind opening bet. Subsequent betting rounds are lead by the last raiser.
  • If, in a stud game, there are not enough cards in the deck to deal the last down card, then the last card is a common card dealt up in the middle of the table. This happens very rarely, but can happen because casino poker tables seat 8 players.
• Another thing worth noting is the way casinos refer to these games. There's a formula, minimum bet-maximum bet-game. So, a "1-3-7" game is a $1.00 minimum bet, $3.00 maximum bet, 7 stud game.
• Strategy:
  • Play conservatively.
  • Play conservatively.
  • Play conservatively.
  • Know the game.
  • Know the game.
  • Know the game.
  • Set realistic win/loss limits and break your bankroll into sessions. Once you have reached either your win or loss limit in a session, leave the table for a while, and come back later. My win/loss limits are 30%/55%, respectively. I try to leave for at least an hour.
  • Consider getting caught bluffing early on, other players will remember you as that idiot who bluffed, and will sometimes stay in when they shouldn't in hopes that you're bluffing again.
  • Do not bluff unless you are trying to get caught; someone almost always calls.
  • Identify the "players" and the "tourists" -- play against the tourists, fold against the players.
  • Stay calm and collected, this is no place for emotions.
  • Did I mention play conservatively and know the game?

Caribean Stud Poker

• Maximum Number of Players: 9 (the table may only seat 6-8 players)
• Vigorish: 5% (depending on your strategy)
• The Game:
  1. Players ante at least the table minimum.
  2. Players are each dealt 5 cards down, the dealer gets 4 cards down and one up.
  3. Players look at their cards without showing them to other players, and decided whether to fold (and lose their ante) or call. Players wishing to call must bet an amount equal to twice their ante.
  4. Once all players have either folded or called, the dealer's hand is revealed. If the dealer does not have at least a King high, then the dealer's hand is said to not qualify, and all players who called get paid even money on their antes and their call bets are pushed.
  5. If the dealer does qualify, then each player's hand is compared to the dealer's. If the dealer's hand beats the player's, then the player's ante and call bet are both lost. If, however, the player beats the dealer, then the player's ante gets paid even money and the call bet is payed as follows:
     • Pair or less - 1:1
     • Two Pair - 2:1
     • Three-of-a-kind - 3:1
     • Straight - 4:1
     • Flush - 5:1
     • Full House - 7:1
     • Four-of-a-kind - 20:1
     • Straight Flush- 50:1
     • Royal Flush- 100:1
     The payouts listed above, should be displayed on the table.
• There is another bet that players can take, called the progressive bet. This is a $1.00 side bet to win a jackpot. The vig on this bet depends on the jackpot's size, but a $100,000 jackpot has about a %50 vig. Unless instructed by a deity, don't take this bet. If you really think you're gonna win the jackpot, send me an e-mail 'cause I'm sure I can think of better things to do with that money -- like wiping my ass with it and flushing it down the toilet, the payout will be the same. No, really.
• Strategy: Do not hold if you have less than a pair on the hopes that the dealer is not going to qualify. The best strategy, according to the few books I've read, is to only call if you have a pair or better. Personally, I think the best strategy is to play Video Poker instead if you're this desperate for a mindless poker game that you think you'll have a chance at winning at. I'd still play this over Video Poker, though, 'cause it's more fun and that's why I play table games.

Let It Ride

• Maximum Number of Players: 16 (the table may only seat 6-8 players)
• Vigorish: greater than or equal to 3.5%
• The Game:
  1. Players place 3 equal amounts in each of the 3 circles at their place on the table. Each of these must be at least the table minimum. Thus, if the table minimum is $5.00, the player must place a total of $15.00 on the table.
  2. Players are each dealt 3 cards down. Do not touch your cards until the dealer places them in front of you. Two cards are dealt face down in font of the dealer. These are common cards that players can use, and they will be revealed later.
  3. Players look at their cards without showing them to other players.
  4. The dealer then asks each player, starting on the dealer's left, if that player would like to "pull back" one of the bets first placed. If a player has it pushed back, then that wager will not be collected if the player loses, nor will it be paid if the player wins.
  5. After all players, have decided whether to pull back their first wager, the dealer reveals the first community card.
  6. The dealer then asks each player, starting on the dealer's left, if that player would like to "pull back" another of the bets first placed. If a player has it pushed back, then that wager will not be collected if the player loses, nor will it be paid if the player wins.
  7. After all players, have decided whether to pull back their second wager, the dealer reveals the last community card.
  8. Players reveal their hands and the dealer collects all wagers not pulled back from players that have less than a pair of 10s. Note, a player will always have at least one wager left on the table. All of remaining wagers are paid as follows:
     • Pair (10s or better) - 1:1
     • Two Pair - 2:1
     • Three-of-a-kind - 3:1
     • Straight - 5:1
     • Flush - 8:1
     • Full House - 11:1
     • Four-of-a-kind - 50:1
     • Straight Flush- 200:1
     • Royal Flush- 1000:1
     The payouts listed above, should be displayed on the table.
• Strategy:
  • The first wager should ride if you have:
    • A pair of 10s or better
    • Three consecutive cards to an open-ended straight flush
    • Three "almost" consecutive cards to an open-ended straight flush, where at least two of them are 10s or better. Almost consecutive means three cards with only one hole, e.g. 9,J,Q.
  • The second wager should ride if you have:
    • A pair of 10s or better
    • Four cards to a flush
    • 10, Jack, Queen, King of any suite
  • Leave if you manage to get ahead early. The vig will catch up to you. I like this game; just remember this last piece of advice.

Pai Gow

• Maximum Number of Players: 7
• Vigorish: 2.5% (depending on your skill)
• A standard deck is used, but it contains 1 Joker that can be used as either an Ace or to complete a Straight or Flush. Some casinos may allow the Joker to be wild.
• Unlike many other table games, players play against each other: one player plays the banker, and plays against the other players.
• The house takes 5% of winning bets.
• The Game:
  1. Players place their bets.
  2. The dealer makes 7 piles of 7 cards.
  3. The banker shakes a dice cup, containing 3 dice. The dealer then distributes the stacks based on the number shown on the dice.
  4. Players arrange their cards into 2 hands, a high and a low hand. The high hand is made up of 2 cards and must be lower than the low hand, which is made up of the remaining 5 cards. Once arranged, players place their hands in the appropriate positions. The high hand (2 card hand) is placed in the box closer to the center of the table, and the low hand (5 card hand) is placed in the box closer to the player.
  5. Once all players are done arranging their hands and have put them down on the table, the dealer reveals the banker's cards.
  6. The banker directs the dealer as to how to arrange the cards.
  7. The dealer reveals each player's cards, in turn. If both of the player's hands are higher than the banker's hands, then the player wins even money. If the banker's hands are higher than or tie the player's hands, then the banker wins even money. Split hands push. Note, low hands are compared only against low hands and high hands only against high hands. Note, while the winning bets are paid even money, the house takes a 5% commission.
  8. Only pairs and high cards count for the high hand (2 card hand).
  9. Regular poker hands are used for the low hand (5 cards hand), with the following exception: an A-5 straight is the second highest straight.