Learn the fundamentals of how to play casino holdem with this comprehensive beginners guide to the game. If you’ve previously been put off by poker games because of their complex rules, different bets and multiple players, casino holdem is worth a look. It’s easier to play, way more streamlined, and involves just you and the dealer.
Read our casino holdem guide for everything you need to know to start playing casino holdem and you’ll soon see why the game is such a popular choice!
What is Casino Holdem?
Casino holdem is a simplified version of the popular card game Texas Holdem in which the player plays only against the dealer. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, with two cards dealt to the player, two to the dealer and five community cards dealt into the middle. The aim of the game is to get a better five card poker hand than the dealer using the two hole cards and the five community cards.
Since it’s just you and the dealer, the game plays much faster than standard Texas Holdem games, and with its simple rules, casino holdem is ideal for beginners.
A Standard Casino Holdem Table
A good first step in learning how to play casino holdem is to check out what the game actually looks like. Take a look at the screenshot below of Evolution’s Live Casino Holdem for a pretty standard layout of the game.
The main areas of the table consist of the Ante and Play positions, plus the optional Bonus bet position, the player’s two cards (in this case, K6), the community cards (the first three have been dealt here: QJ9), and the dealer’s two cards, which are still face down.
Casino Holdem Rules for Beginners
Casino holdem rules are very easy to learn and luckily there aren’t too many of them either! Each of the game’s rounds consist of just two opportunities to act: Ante and Play (plus the optional side bet). Let’s see how each of them works.
The Ante Bet
This bet is essential for starting the game, which is why it’s placed front and centre. This is your main bet that says you’re aiming to beat the dealer. Once you’ve placed your bet here, the cards will be dealt: two to you the player, two to the dealer (face down), and the first three of the five community cards.
The Play Bet
Once the cards have been dealt, it’s decision time! If you don’t think your hand is strong enough to beat the dealer’s, you can choose to fold. If you think your hand could beat the dealer’s, click on the Play position. A bet that is double the value of your Ante bet will be placed automatically. The remaining two community cards will then be dealt and the winner revealed.
The AA Side Bet
The Ante and Play bets above make a complete round of casino holdem. However, most versions of the game also offer the AA side bet. This bet can be placed at the start alongside the Ante bet, but you can’t place it on its own (ie. you have to place an Ante bet too). The AA side bet basically says you’re predicting that your hole cards plus the first three community cards will make up a poker hand of a pair of Aces or better.
While this side bet is fun to try, the long odds of winning means it’s a good idea not to play it too often if you want to maintain responsible gaming practices.
Dealer Qualification
You may have noticed the yellow section in the middle of the table that says ‘Dealer qualifies with pair of 4s or better’. One of the major rules of casino holdem involves dealer qualification in that if the dealer doesn’t get at least a pair of 4s or better, the payouts are adjusted slightly. Check out the section below on payouts for details.
Casino Holdem Poker Hand Rankings Explained
In order to beat the dealer, you need to have a better hand based on poker hand values. It’s a good idea to memorise these if you’re considering learning how to play casino holdem. Knowing the value of your hand is essential knowledge that will help you determine whether you want to play or fold.
Here are the casino holdem poker hand values in order from least to most valuable:
| Hand | Example |
| High Card | If you can’t make up one of the poker hands below, the highest value card is your hand, eg. 2, 3, 6, 8, A where A is your high card |
| Pair | Two matching cards, eg. 22 |
| Two Pair | Two sets of two matching cards, eg. 22 55 |
| Three of a Kind | Three matching cards, eg. JJJ |
| Straight | Five cards of consecutive values, eg. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit, eg. 3d, 5d, 8d, Jd, Qd (d = diamonds) |
| Full House | Three matching cards plus two other matching cards, eg. 33555 |
| Four of a Kind | Four matching cards, eg. QQQQ |
| Straight Flush | Five suited cards of consecutive values, eg. 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s (s = spades) |
| Royal Flush | The five highest value cards suited, eg. 10c, Jc, Qc, Kc, Ac (c = clubs) |
Of course, you can’t see the dealer’s cards until the very end, so the game is all about deciding whether you’re more likely to have a better hand than the dealer based on the information available.
Casino Holdem Payouts
The game’s three different bets – Ante, Play and the Side Bet – each have their own payouts, which are determined in different ways. Here’s a closer look.
Ante Payouts
The main bet in Casino Holdem always pays according to the hand you have if you win. If the dealer qualified and it’s a tie, that’s a push and you get your Ante bet back. If you lose or fold, your Ante bet loses.
Here are the Ante bet payouts:
| Hand | Payout |
| Pair, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight | 1/1 |
| Flush | 2/1 |
| Full House | 3/1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10/1 |
| Straight Flush | 20/1 |
| Royal Flush | 100/1 |
Play Payouts
The Play bet is much simpler in that it pays evens (1/1) if you beat the dealer. The only exception is if you win, but the dealer didn’t qualify, in which case, you get your Play bet back. If you lose or fold, your Play bet loses.
AA Side Bet Payouts
The AA side bet pays out if your two hole cards and the first three community cards make a poker hand of a pair of Aces or better. This bet is unique in that it’s settled as soon as those first three community cards are dealt.
If you decide to play the AA side bet, here’s what you can expect to get back if you win.
| Hand | Payout |
| Pair of Aces, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight | 7/1 |
| Flush | 20/1 |
| Full House | 30/1 |
| Four of a Kind | 40/1 |
| Straight Flush | 50/1 |
| Royal Flush | 100/1 |
How To Play A Round Of Casino Holdem
While there are some variations in the names of the bets from one game to the next, the general order of play is identical. Here’s what you can expect from one round of casino holdem, step by step.
1. Place your ante bet
Choose your chip value and click on the Ante bet position to place your bet. When you’re happy with your bet, you can either move on to the next step if you want to place the side bet, or click the button to start the round.
2. Consider optional side bet
If you want to try the optional AA side bet, simply choose your chip value and click on the Bonus position to place your bet. When you’re ready, click to start the deal.
3. Bet or fold
Once your bets have been placed, yours and the dealer’s two hole cards plus the first three community cards will be dealt. Take time to consider the strength of your hand according to the poker hand values and decide if you think it will beat the dealer’s. If not, you can click Fold and the round will end. If you think you have a strong hand, click the Play button (sometimes labelled 2x Play) and a bet of double your Ante bet will be placed.
Note it’s at this stage that the optional AA side bet is paid out if your hole cards plus the first three community cards make up a poker hand of a pair of Aces or better.
4. See who won
If you bet Play, the final two community cards will be dealt and the dealer’s hole cards revealed. The winner is the one with the highest poker hand and payouts will be awarded accordingly.
Popular Casino Holdem Games
You’ll find a few varieties of casino holdem to play online, from RNG-driven games to those featuring live dealers. Here are a couple of examples to get you started.
RNG Casino Holdem
Many casino holdem games are driven by RNG, so there’s no need for anyone else to be involved: just you and the computer! The benefit of RNG-based Casino Holdem is that game rounds are completed at your pace, with no timers or having to wait for the dealer.
Evolution Live Casino Holdem
Evolution is one of a few live games developers that has created their own version of casino holdem featuring a real live dealer. The simply named Casino Holdem plays on a plush dark blue-green table in Evolution’s luxurious champagne coloured studio, with the live dealer changing the deck for every round.
Playtech Live Casino Holdem
Another leading developer, Playtech offers their own unique take on live dealer casino holdem. The smartly dressed live dealers take care of the action on black tables in a decadent black and white marble studio with gold trims. Here, new decks are pre-shuffled by assistant dealers for every round.
Summary
If you’ve ever fancied playing poker, but felt overwhelmed by the different positions, bet types, and order of play, casino holdem is the ideal introduction. Since there’s just you and the dealer involved and only two different main bets to consider, it’s a very quick and easy game to learn. Hopefully this casino holdem guide has inspired you to discover why the game is such a player favourite.
Take a minute or two to check out the poker hand values and remind yourself of the Ante and Play bets above, then try the game for yourself. Remember, you can always watch a few hands of live dealer casino holdem first before you start playing, just to see how each round plays.
FAQs
Casino holdem is perfect for beginners. Gameplay is simple and involves placing a bet to start, then betting double if you think your hand is strong enough to beat the dealer’s. Hand strength is based on poker hand values, with payouts awarded accordingly.
The beauty of casino holdem is that it’s just you and the dealer, so there’s only one person (or computer if you’re playing RNG games) you need to beat. The game works similarly to multiplayer poker games like Texas Holdem, but with fewer bets.
Casino holdem is one of the easiest poker games to learn because it has simple rules, very few bets and only one opponent: the dealer. That said, Three Card Poker is also a very easy poker game as there are only three cards and even fewer bets.
The best poker hand is the one that ends up being a winner! Because of the way poker games work, starting with a good hand doesn’t mean you’re going to win. However, based on card values in poker, the highest possible hole cards you could land are AA (also known as ‘pocket rockets’). The absolute best poker hand in casino holdem is the royal flush, ie. 10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit.
