Casino Hold’em: strategy, payouts and odds
Casino Hold’em is a heads-up poker game against the dealer. You see your two cards and the flop, then decide to call twice your ante or fold.
Reviewed Oct 14, 2026
Answer first
90s| Ante pays (your hand) | Pays |
|---|---|
| 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 lower | 1 to 1 |
Key numbers
Casino Hold’em in four numbers
In short
Key takeaways
- Call far more often than you fold. Folding gives up your ante every time.
- Fold mostly when you have nothing and the board does not help, especially low unpaired cards.
- If the dealer does not qualify, your ante is paid on the pay table and your call bet pushes.
- The AA bonus side bet carries a higher edge than the main game.
On the felt
Call or fold after the flop
Your cards
No pair, low cards
Flop
Nothing connects — a typical fold
Other hand: K-7 on the same flop
Pair of kings — easy call
Any pair, any draw and most ace-high hands are calls. Weak unconnected hands are folds.
Pay table
Outcomes for one hand
Glance before you bet
| Dealer | Your hand | Ante | Call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does not qualify | Any | Pays per table | Push |
| Qualifies | Better | Pays per table | Pays 1:1 |
| Qualifies | Worse | Loses | Loses |
| Qualifies | Tie | Push | Push |
Dealer qualifies with a pair of 4s or better.
Sequence
One round
Step 01
Ante
Place the ante; optional AA bonus side bet.
Step 02
Deal
Two cards to you and to the dealer, then a three-card flop.
Step 03
Decide
Call with 2× ante or fold.
Step 04
Turn and river
Two more community cards.
Step 05
Showdown
Best five of seven cards. Dealer needs a pair of 4s.
Why calling is usually right
You already have one unit in the pot, and the call risks two more. Even weak hands win often enough against a dealer who must play every hand.
Folding costs a sure unit; calling with a modest hand loses less on average.
A simple strategy is to fold only when you have no pair, no draw and both of your cards are lower than the flop’s highest card.
Floor rules
Terms
Know before you sit
- Ante
- The first bet, paid on a pay table when you win.
- Call
- A bet of twice the ante to see the turn and river.
- Qualify
- The dealer needs a pair of 4s or better for the call bet to be in action.
- Kicker
- A side card that breaks ties between equal pairs.
Putting the strategy into practice
The simple rule of calling with most hands works because the dealer fails to qualify with less than a pair of fours about 18% of the time. When that happens, the ante pays by its own table and the call bet pushes.
Folding too often is the most common mistake. Folding gives up the ante every time, while calling with weak hands that still have outs loses less on average.
The AA bonus side bet carries a much higher edge than the main game, often around 6% or more. It adds swings but does not improve your chances on the base hand.
Keep reading
Related pages
Go play
Where to play in Las Vegas
Tap a resort — each row opens that casino’s White Gambling page (hours, game mix, floor facts). Venues with this game in official counts, sorted high to low.
Open a casino page
Real listings · not adsAfter the 90 seconds
Questions before and after you play
A 90-second guide cannot cover every table moment. Tap a group, then a question — answers are short paragraphs, not one-liners.
01Strategy
What is the best strategy for Casino Hold’em?
Call with any pair, any draw to a straight or flush, and most ace-high or king-high hands. Fold only weak hands that miss the flop completely. This keeps the house edge near 2.16% per ante.
How often should I fold in Casino Hold’em?
Roughly 18% of hands with good strategy. Folding more often raises the house edge.
What does the dealer need to qualify?
A pair of 4s or better. If the dealer does not qualify, your ante is paid on the pay table and your call bet is returned.
What is the house edge in Casino Hold’em?
About 2.16% per ante with good strategy. Measured against all money wagered, including calls, it is lower.
Is Casino Hold’em the same as Ultimate Texas Hold’em?
No. In Casino Hold’em you decide once, after the flop, and call 2×. Ultimate Texas Hold’em lets you raise at three points and has a blind bet.
Can I play Casino Hold’em online?
Many licensed online casinos offer it as an RNG or live-dealer game in states where online casino is legal. Rules and pay tables match the land game closely.
02At the table
What does the ante pay on a straight?
On the common pay table, a straight or lower pays 1 to 1 on the ante. Flushes pay 2 to 1, full houses 3 to 1, and higher hands more.
Is there a minimum hand to win?
No. Any hand that beats a qualifying dealer wins. A tie with the dealer pushes both bets.
03More Casino Hold’em questions
How often should I fold in Casino Hold’em?
With good basic strategy, only about 18% of hands. Most players fold far more often than that and give up value on the ante.
Is Casino Hold’em better than Three Card Poker?
The ante bet edge, about 2.16%, is lower than the 3.37% on the Three Card Poker ante. Compare the edge per total amount bet when choosing.
Sources
- Wizard of Odds — Casino Hold’em Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry)The gaming industry’s standard reference for casino-game math, by actuary Michael Shackleford. Not an official registry; our calculators compute these numbers independently. · accessed Oct 14, 2026Strategy and house edge
- Nevada Gaming Control Board · accessed Oct 14, 2026Approved games and gaming revenue reports
- National Council on Problem Gambling — Help and resources Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 14, 2026Free, confidential help: call or text 1-800-GAMBLER
- American Gaming Association — Research Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 14, 2026US casino industry data
- UNLV Center for Gaming Research Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 14, 2026Research library on casino games and gambling