Ultimate Texas Hold’em in 90 seconds
Glanceable rules for a phone at the pit: hole cards, board streets, raise timing vs the dealer, and what not to do.
Reviewed Oct 8, 2026
Answer first
90s- 01Hold’em vs the house: two hole cards + five community cards.
- 02Post Ante and Blind (equal) to start; optional Trips side bet.
- 03Raise 4× before the flop, 3× on the flop, or 1× on turn/river — or check.
- 04You must raise at least once by the end or fold (rules vary — confirm felt).
- 05Dealer usually needs a pair to qualify; Blind often pays on strong hands.
- 06No win guarantees — minimums and Blind pay tables are posted on the floor.
On the felt
Your holes vs the board (vs dealer)
Your holes
Private — you decide raise timing
Dealer holes
Hidden until showdown
Board (example)
Shared five — same for you and dealer
Best five-card poker hand from hole + board. You are not playing other tourists — only the dealer’s hand.
Progress
Streets and raise windows
- 1
Ante/Blind
Equal bets before the deal
- 2
Holes
2 cards you; 2 to dealer
- 3
Preflop
Raise 4× or check
- 4
Flop
3 community; raise 3× or check
- 5
Turn/River
Raise 1× or fold (typical)
Raise size shrinks as more board cards appear. Missing every raise window usually means a fold by the river — confirm the felt.
Cheat sheet
Hand rankings (same as Hold’em)
Glance the faces — compare in one second.
1Royal flush
A-K-Q-J-10, one suit
2Straight flush
Five in a row, one suit
3Four of a kind
Four same rank
4Full house
Three + a pair
5Flush
Five same suit
6Straight
Five in a row, mixed
7Three of a kind
Trips / set
8Two pair
Two different pairs
9One pair
Single pair
10High card
No pair — ace high
Same ranking ladder as Texas Hold’em. Blind bonus pays often start at straight or better — read the Blind pay table.
Your turn
Bets and decisions
Ante
Required bet matched by Blind. Competes with the dealer’s hand when you stay in.
Blind
Equal to Ante. Often pushes if you beat a non-qualifying dealer; pays a bonus on strong made hands.
Play (raise)
Bet 4× Ante preflop, 3× on the flop, or 1× on turn/river (typical Vegas layout).
Check
Decline to raise on that street and see more cards (when the rules allow).
Trips
Optional side bet that your hole + board make three of a kind or better — posted pay table.
Sequence
One hand, step by step
Step 01
Ante and Blind
Place equal Ante and Blind (and optional Trips). Minimums are on the felt. Cash in for chips before the deal.
Step 02
Hole cards and 4× window
You and the dealer each get two holes. Raise 4× Ante or check. Dealer’s holes stay down.
Step 03
Flop, then turn/river
Three community cards — raise 3× or check. Then turn and river; final raise is usually 1×, or fold if you never raised.
Step 04
Showdown and qualify
Dealer reveals. Hands compare with standard Hold’em ranks. Dealer typically needs a pair to qualify; Blind bonuses pay from the sheet.
Playbook · Beginner
Beginner strategy (legal basics)
Tip 01
Raise early with strong holdings
Big pairs and strong Ace-King type hands often take the 4× preflop. Waiting for 1× with monsters leaves money on the table — study a published UTH chart.
Tip 02
Do not auto-raise junk
Weak holes can check and fold later. Forcing 4× on trash is how beginners evaporate stacks.
Tip 03
Treat Trips as optional
The Trips side bet is entertainment with a worse edge than the Ante/Blind/Play line. Keep it small or skip it.
Tip 04
Read Blind and Trips pay tables
Blind bonuses and Trips pays differ by felt. Glance before you buy in.
Tip 05
One decision window at a time
Place Play chips only when the dealer opens that raise street. Clear timing avoids disputes.
Tip 06
What this is not
No past-posting raises after the next street is out, no phone solvers mid-hand. Advanced play means cleaner raise timing under the same rules.
Watch outs
Common mistakes
01Always checking to the 1×
Strong hands want earlier bigger raises. Defaulting to river 1× with premiums is a classic leak.
024× on any Ace
Weak Ace-x is not automatic preflop aggression. Chart the hand, do not romanticize the Ace.
03Max Trips every deal
The side bet raises the house edge fast. Optional means optional.
04Confusing UTH with cash Hold’em
You are not bluffing tourists. There is no fold equity vs the dealer — only raise timing and showdown.
05Ignoring dealer qualify
When the dealer fails to qualify, Ante/Blind settlement follows the felt — do not invent payouts.
Playbook · Intermediate
Intermediate strategy
Mid 01
Match a published raise chart
Preflop 4× / flop 3× / river 1× lines differ by hand class. Use a chart written for Ultimate Texas Hold’em, not cash-game starting-hand charts.
Mid 02
Flop texture matters
Sets, two pair, and strong draws change whether you take 3× now or wait. Learn a few flop buckets before freestyling.
Mid 03
Bankroll for 4× swings
When you raise big early, variance spikes. Size Ante so a cold stretch does not force the ATM.
Mid 04
Table selection
Clear Blind/Trips sheets and a minimum you can sustain beat a rushed high-limit pit.
Mid 05
Separate Trips from the main line
A Trips win can land on a hand you still play poorly vs the dealer. Judge each bet on its own rules.
Pay table
Common payoffs & notes
Glance before you bet
| Topic | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ante win (dealer qualifies) | 1:1 | When your hand beats dealer |
| Play (raise) win | 1:1 | Same compare |
| Blind bonus | Pay table | Often straight+ — read felt |
| Dealer no qualify | Ante push / Blind rules | Confirm felt |
| Preflop Play | 4× Ante | Biggest raise window |
| Flop / river Play | 3× / 1× | Typical Vegas layout |
| Trips side | Pay table | Optional — worse edge |
House rules and Blind sheets vary. The table sign and dealer beat any blog memory — glance before you buy in.
Playbook · Advanced
Advanced notes (still legal)
Pro 01
Chart compliance beats hunches
Most legal EV for casual players sits in correct raise timing. Fancy “reads” on a face-down dealer are mostly noise.
Pro 02
Side bets still have worse math
Hot Trips streaks do not rewrite the posted edge. Cap props if you play them.
Pro 03
Rule text on fold requirements
Some layouts force a Play bet by the river; wording differs. Ask once — do not assume every UTH felt matches a blog.
Pro 04
Hard stop on edge cases
Adding a raise after the next card is out, or signaling partners, is cheating. Advanced means cleaner legal decisions.
Pro 05
Devices stay pocketed
Live solver apps mid-hand can be forbidden. Study charts away from the deal.
Floor rules
Etiquette & what is forbidden
Know before you sit
- Raise only in the window
- Place Play when that street’s decision is open. Late chips after the next card are past-posting.
- One box at a time
- Act when the dealer reaches you. Coaching other players’ raise size unasked is rude.
- Hands off dealer holes
- Dealer reveals at showdown. Touching those cards is forbidden.
- Phones
- A raise chart is often fine if discreet. Filming cards, dealers, or stacks is not.
- No past-posting
- Never add or change Play after the street closes. That is cheating — the pit will kill the bet.
- Tips
- Optional. Tip bets are placed as directed by the dealer — not thrown onto live spots.
Go play
Where to play in Las Vegas
Tap a resort — each row opens that casino’s CasinoList page (hours, game mix, floor facts). Venues with this game in official counts, sorted high to low.
Open a casino page
Real listings · not adsRanked lists
Open a shortlist that matches this guide
Same intent, inventory first — tap through for the places we already publish for Las Vegas.
- Ranked shortlistStrip Ultimate Texas Hold’emUltimate Texas Hold’em tables on the NGCB file.Open shortlist
- Ranked shortlistDowntown Ultimate Texas Hold’emUltimate Texas Hold’em tables on the NGCB file.Open shortlist
- Ranked shortlistLocals Ultimate Texas Hold’emUltimate Texas Hold’em tables on the NGCB file.Open shortlist
After 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.
01Before you sit
Is Ultimate Texas Hold’em the same as the poker room?
No. UTH is a table game against the house with Ante, Blind, and timed Play raises. The poker room is player-vs-player Hold’em with blinds and a pot. Same hand rankings, different betting structure.
How much should I bring for my first UTH table?
Bring enough Ante/Blind pairs plus room for at least one 4× raise you might make. If the Strip minimum feels high, walk to another pit. Leaving after a set loss is normal.
Do I have to play Trips?
No. Trips is an optional side bet on three of a kind or better using your cards and the board. Many first-timers skip it until the main line feels automatic.
02Cards and streets
When can I raise 4× vs 3× vs 1×?
Typical Vegas layout: 4× Ante before the flop, 3× after the flop, 1× after the turn/river. Once you raise, you usually stay in through showdown. Confirm the felt — wording can differ.
What if I never raise?
On many layouts you must make a Play bet by the river or fold and lose Ante/Blind. Ask the dealer how this table handles checks all the way — do not assume.
Does the dealer use the same board?
Yes. Five community cards are shared. You each combine two hole cards with the board to make a five-card poker hand.
03Betting decisions
What does dealer qualify mean in UTH?
Usually the dealer needs at least a pair. If the dealer fails to qualify, Ante and Blind settlement follows the posted rules (often Ante push with Blind still in play for bonuses — read the sheet).
When does the Blind pay a bonus?
When you stay in and make a strong hand (often straight or better), the Blind may pay from a posted pay table even beyond even-money logic. Exact ranks and odds are on the felt.
Should I always 4× with any pair?
Not automatically. Published UTH strategy charts treat small pairs and big pairs differently across streets. Use a chart written for this game, not cash-game lore.
04Strategy in practice
Is a raise chart allowed at the table?
In many rooms a personal chart is fine if you are quick and do not delay the game. Live phone solvers mid-hand can cross into forbidden device use — ask the floor once if unsure.
Can I bluff the dealer?
No. The dealer does not fold. Raises change how much you have in action at showdown; they are not bluffs against a human opponent.
05Etiquette and phones
Can I play two spots?
Often yes if the table is not full and each Ante/Blind pair meets the minimum. The floor can limit spots when busy. Ask before you drop a second stack.
Someone is coaching my raise size. Okay?
Short friendly tips happen; arguing mid-street or touching your chips does not. Follow the dealer’s pace and decide for your own box.
06After you play
How do I leave mid-shoe?
Finish the hand in your box (raise, check, or fold per rules), then color up when the dealer has a moment. You do not need other players’ permission to leave.
Where can I find Ultimate Texas Hold’em in Las Vegas after reading this?
Use the venues listed below — resorts with published NGCB ultimate-texas-holdem table counts, sorted high to low. Open a casino page for hours and the full game mix, then confirm Blind/Trips sheets on the felt.
Sources
- Bellagio casino (operator page) · accessed Oct 8, 2026Land-based table-games floor example; mix and limits as published by the operator.
- Wynn Las Vegas casino (operator page) · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- CasinoList Las Vegas Ultimate Texas Hold’em inventory · accessed Oct 8, 2026Table counts from catalog records (NGCB Count Report ultimate-texas-holdem column).