Poker Table Games in Bitcoin Casinos

Poker has become a very popular game within the past 10-15 years, both online and live, and you are likely to know the common hand-rankings in poker. This is basically all you need to know if you want to play some of the poker table game variations you are likely to find in a Bitcoin casino, like Casino Hold’em, Caribbean Stud and Let it Ride. They are all very fun to play and you can earn a decent buck playing them as the house edge is generally quite low.

The major difference between them and “regular” poker, the game you might have seen on TV, is that the poker table games are banking games. This means that you are playing against the house and not other players. It might seem boring but it is actually quite fun and entertaining and might remind you a bit of playing blackjack or baccarat.

What game is the best? This is very individual as it depends what you’re looking for. Some games offer a jackpot if you hit a certain combination while other games are more similar to blackjack where you often end up breaking even. Casino Hold’em is probably most similar to the game you have played with friends at the pub so this is a good place to start, while Caribbean Stud and Let it Ride are slightly more complex games.

But let’s get straight to the most important and introduce you to some of the most popular poker table games you will find in a Bitcoin Casino.

Caribbean Stud Poker

This game is sometimes also called Casino Five Card Stud Poker which is perhaps also a more fitting name as you are dealt five cards. The object of the game is to get a better poker hand than the dealer – where the dealer has to have at least a pair or an ace and a king.

You start out placing an ante and then you get five cards. The dealer also gets five cards but only one card is shown. You now have the option to either bet or fold. If you fold you lose your ante, but if you bet the dealer will reveal his remaining four cards.

The dealer needs to have a qualifying hand (that’s a hand with ace and a king or a pair or better) for you to win your bet. If the hand does not qualify you will get you ante back with even money. Most of the time you will be dealt a hand with a pair and you will win your bet with even money if your hand is better than the dealer’s hand. However, better poker hands give you higher payouts as shown here:

Royal flush 100 to 1
Straight flush      50 to 1
Four of a kind     20 to 1
Full house          7 to 1
Flush               5 to 1
Straight            4 to 1
Three of a kind   3 to 1
Two pair            2 to 1
One pair or less   1 to 1

In addition you have the option, in Caribbean Stud, to win a progressive jackpot if you hit a flush or higher. This requires that you have contributed to the progressive jackpot by placing an extra bet on beforehand. The jackpot for hitting a flush, full house or four of a kind is usually set on beforehand, but if you manage to hit a royal flush will you win 100% of the progressive jackpot.

Casino Hold’em

If you have played online poker or a poker tournament in a casino will you probably understand this game very quickly. It is basically like a regular game of Texas Hold’em, nowadays the most common poker variation, but you play against the dealer.

First you place an ante and both you and the dealer are dealt two cards. The dealer’s cards are face down. Also three community cards are shown and you now have the option to either fold or call. If you call another bet is placed and the last two community cards are shown as well as the dealer’s cards. Then it’s time for a showdown.

The dealer must have, at the very least, a pair of fours to qualify, if not you will get paid according to the AnteWin pay table below. If the dealer qualifies and you win, your call bet will also be paid according to the pay table.

Royal flush         100 to 1
Straight flush     20 to 1
Four of a kind    10 to 1
Full house          3 to 1
Flush               2 to 1
Straight or less    1 to 1

In Casino Hold’em you also have the option to place a side bet, known as the AA bonus, where you win if you have a straight or higher before the last two community cards are shown. The pay table may vary here but a royal flush normally pays out 100 to 1.

Let it Ride

Also known as Ride’m Poker, Let it Ride is a slightly more complex poker table game but once you get the hang of it, it is a lot of fun. In this game the dealer does not get any cards so it is basically you who are playing against the house.

You start out by placing a bet which will be divided equally onto three different betting spots. The spots are normally pictured with the symbols 1,2 and $. The wagers on spots 1 and 2 can be withdrawn before the end of the game if you have bad cards.

You will be dealt three cards and two community cards face down. Now you have the chance to fold and withdraw your bets on 1 and 2 or continue the game and see another community card. If you go on you will have the same option to see the final community card.

You need to get a pair of tens or better to win and your payout depends on the strength of your hand:

Royal flush         1,000 to 1
Straight flush     200 to 1
Four of a kind    50 to 1
Full house          11 to 1
Flush               8 to 1
Straight            5 to 1
Three of a kind     3 to 1
Two pair            2 to 1
10s or better      1 to 1

You will find more poker table games than the three we have described above. We will describe them in more detail later.