Free Casino Games / Ultimate Texas Hold'em / How to play Ultimate Texas Hold'em
How to play Ultimate Texas Hold'em
Ultimate Texas Hold'em is Texas Hold'em played against the dealer, not against other players. You bet an Ante and an equal Blind, get two cards, and share five community cards with the dealer. You make one Play bet during the hand, and the earlier you make it, the bigger it can be.
One hand, step by step
- Bet. Put the same amount on the Ante and the Blind. Both are required. You can also bet Trips, an optional bet on your own hand.
- Deal. You get two cards face up. The dealer gets two cards face down.
- Before the flop. Bet 4 or 3 times your Ante on Play, or check.
- The flop. Three community cards are turned over. If you checked, bet 2 times your Ante, or check again.
- The turn and river. The last two community cards are turned over. If you checked twice, bet 1 times your Ante, or fold.
- Showdown. The dealer turns over two cards. You and the dealer each make the best five-card hand from your two cards and the five on the table. The better hand wins.
One Play bet per hand
You get one Play bet, and the size depends on when you make it. Once it is down, you are done deciding and you watch the rest of the cards. Checking costs nothing, but each time you check, the bet you can make next is smaller.
| When | Your choices |
|---|---|
| Before the flop | Bet 4x or 3x the Ante, or check |
| After the flop | Bet 2x the Ante, or check |
| After the river | Bet 1x the Ante, or fold |
You can't fold before the river. Until then, your only choices are to bet or check.
How the bets are paid
| Result | Ante | Blind | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| You win | 1 to 1 (push if the dealer doesn't open) | Pays on a straight or better, else push | 1 to 1 |
| Tie | Push | Push | Push |
| Dealer wins | Lose | Lose | Lose |
| You fold | Lose | Lose | No bet |
The Blind pays from 1 to 1 for a straight up to 500 to 1 for a royal flush. Every payout.
When the dealer doesn't open
The dealer needs a pair or better to open. If the dealer has less, your Ante comes back to you as a push. Your Play and Blind bets are still settled against the dealer's hand, so you can win them or lose them. A seven-card hand has no pair about one time in six.
Your hand
Your hand is the best five cards out of seven: your two plus the five on the table. You can use both of your cards, one, or none. The ranks are the usual poker ranks, from royal flush down to high card. The hands, ranked.
An example hand
You bet 10 on the Ante and 10 on the Blind. You are dealt A♦8♣. Any ace is worth the biggest bet, so you bet 40 on Play. The board comes K♣8♥5♠3♦2♣, giving you a pair of 8s. The dealer shows Q♥J♠, no pair, so the dealer doesn't open.
- Ante: push, because the dealer didn't open.
- Play: you beat the dealer, so it pays 40.
- Blind: you won with less than a straight, so it pushes.
You are up 40. If the dealer had held K♦9♣ instead, a pair of kings would open and beat you, and you would lose the Ante, Blind and Play: 60 in all.
When to bet
In short: bet 4x before the flop with any ace, any pair of 3s or better, and the stronger kings, queens and jacks. After the flop, bet 2x with two pair or a pair that uses one of your cards. At the river, bet 1x with a pair that uses your cards, or when few cards beat you. The full strategy.
The Trips bet
Trips pays when your best hand is three of a kind or better, from 3 to 1 up to 50 to 1. It doesn't matter what the dealer has, and it is still paid if you fold. How Trips works.
Try it for free
The quickest way to learn is to play some hands. Our table deals the same game with play money and grades every bet, check and fold. Practice Ultimate Texas Hold'em.
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Questions
Is Ultimate Texas Hold'em hard to learn?
No. You only decide when to make one Play bet: 4x before the flop, 2x after the flop, or 1x at the river. Most people learn the flow in a few hands.
Do you have to bet the Blind in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
Yes. The Ante and Blind are both required and must be the same size. Trips is the only optional bet.
Can you raise again after betting 4x in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
No. You make one Play bet per hand. After it is down, you watch the rest of the cards.
What happens if the dealer doesn't qualify in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
Your Ante pushes. Your Play and Blind bets are still settled against the dealer's hand, so you can still win or lose them.
Is Ultimate Texas Hold'em the same as regular Texas Hold'em?
The cards and hand ranks are the same, but you play against the dealer instead of other players. There is no bluffing, and you make one Play bet per hand.
More: Ultimate Texas Hold'em rules · Ultimate Texas Hold'em strategy · Ultimate Texas Hold'em strategy chart · Ultimate Texas Hold'em payouts · Ultimate Texas Hold'em odds · The Trips bet in Ultimate Texas Hold'em · The Blind bet in Ultimate Texas Hold'em · Ultimate Texas Hold'em hands · How to win at Ultimate Texas Hold'em · Practice Ultimate Texas Hold'em