OBJECTIVE OF FOUR CARD POKER: Build the best four-card hand from five dealt cards and beat the dealer’s four-card hand
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: One or more (each player competes independently against the dealer)
MATERIALS: A standard 52-card deck, a Four Card Poker table layout with Ante and Aces Up betting circles
TYPE OF GAME: Casino table game
AUDIENCE: Adult
OVERVIEW OF FOUR CARD POKER
Four card poker is a casino table game that sits in the same gaming-pit category as Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Roger Snow designed it for Shuffle Master, and the 4 card poker game now appears on casino floors worldwide.
The game pits each player against the dealer, not against other players. You receive five cards and select the best four-card combination from them. The dealer receives six cards and does the same. One rule separates Four Card Poker from similar games: the dealer has no qualifying requirement. Every round ends with a definitive result regardless of what the dealer holds.
Two betting options are available each hand. The Ante bet plays your hand directly against the dealer’s. The Aces Up side bet pays based solely on your hand strength, independent of what the dealer holds. Both can run simultaneously within the same round.
HOW TO PLAY 4 CARD POKER
Each round follows five steps in a fixed sequence.
- Place your bets: Before any cards are dealt, place an Ante bet, an Aces Up bet, or both. At least one must be active to receive cards. Some casinos also offer a progressive jackpot side bet at this stage.
- Receive your cards: Each player gets five cards face down. The dealer takes five cards face down and one card face up. That single visible card is the only information available before you act.
- Make your decision: After reviewing your five cards, choose to fold or continue. Folding forfeits your Ante immediately. Continuing requires a Play bet of between one and three times your Ante.
- Dealer reveals: The dealer turns over their five face-down cards and selects the best four-card hand from all six available.
- Settle the hand: Your best four-card combination is compared against the dealer’s. The higher-ranked hand wins. Tied hands push, and all bets are returned.
FOUR CARD POKER HAND RANKINGS
Adjusted hand rankings apply in Four Card Poker, and the key shift catches players from standard poker off guard.
With only four cards in play, Three of a Kind is harder to achieve than a Flush. That shifts the rankings compared with the five-card game. Players familiar with standard poker sometimes misread this during their first session. Checking the table before sitting down avoids costly confusion.
From lowest to highest:
| Hand | Description |
|---|---|
| High Card | No matching cards; highest single card plays |
| One Pair | Two cards of the same rank |
| Two Pair | Two separate matching pairs |
| Straight | Four consecutive ranks, mixed suits |
| Flush | Four cards of the same suit, any ranks |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank |
| Straight Flush | Four consecutive ranks, all the same suit |
| Four of a Kind | All four cards share the same rank |
Three of a Kind outranks a Flush here. In the five-card game, those two positions are reversed.
WHAT ARE THE FOUR CARD POKER BETS?
Two distinct wagers run in Four Card Poker, each following its own payout logic.
The Ante Bet
Place the Ante before cards are dealt. Once your hand is visible, fold or continue with a Play bet of 1x to 3x the Ante. Both the Ante and Play bets pay even money when your four-card hand beats the dealer’s.
Premium hands also earn an Ante bonus, paid regardless of the dealer’s result:
| Hand | Ante Bonus |
|---|---|
| Three of a Kind | 2:1 |
| Straight Flush | 20:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 25:1 |
The Aces Up Bet
The Aces Up side bet settles on your hand alone. A pair of Aces is the minimum qualifying combination. You win this bet even when the dealer beats your hand. You lose it even when you beat the dealer, provided your hand falls below the qualifying threshold. Both outcomes are possible within the same round.
A standard Aces Up pay table:
| Hand | Aces Up Payout |
|---|---|
| Pair of Aces | 1:1 |
| Two Pair | 3:1 |
| Straight | 4:1 |
| Flush | 5:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 8:1 |
| Straight Flush | 40:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 50:1 |
Pay tables vary by casino, so confirming the specific table before playing is advisable.
FOUR CARD POKER STRATEGY
The house holds a mathematical edge in Four Card Poker regardless of play decisions. Optimal Ante bet strategy brings that edge to approximately 2.8%. Your choices do directly shape volatility and how quickly your session bankroll moves.
The Play bet multiplier is where 4 card poker strategy enters the game. Committing 3x on a weak hand puts more money into a poor position. A straightforward Ante framework:
- Bet 3x the Ante when your five cards form a pair of tens or better. The hand strength supports maximum commitment.
- Bet 1x the Ante when your best four-card hand includes a pair of nines or lower. Continuing is correct; maximum exposure is not.
- Fold when your five cards produce no pair. The cost of continuing with no pair exceeds the return over time.
The dealer’s face-up card adds a useful layer. A pair of Queens facing a dealer Ace is a weaker position than the same pair facing a dealer Five. Dropping from 3x to 1x when the dealer’s visible card threatens your pair is a reasonable adjustment. The Aces Up wager and any progressive jackpot bet depend entirely on the cards drawn. No play decision after the deal affects those outcomes.
CRAZY FOUR CARD POKER
Crazy 4 Poker is a variation created by the same Shuffle Master team. Dealing structure is identical: five cards to each player, six to the dealer.
The mandatory bet rule changes how strong hands are handled. Any player holding a Straight or better must bet exactly 3x the Ante. Below a Straight, the player chooses freely between 1x and 3x. This compulsory raise on premium hands pushes variance higher. Bankroll swings across a session can be faster than in the standard game.
Crazy 4 Poker replaces the Aces Up side bet with a Super Bonus wager. The Super Bonus carries its own pay table. Payouts for Four of a Kind and Straight Flush hands typically exceed the equivalent Aces Up amounts.
READY TO PLAY FOUR CARD POKER ONLINE?
Online versions of four card poker are available at casinos offering digital table game software. Playing 4 card poker online requires no table minimum commitment before you understand the flow of play. RNG-based versions follow the same rules as the casino floor game: face-up dealer card, Play bet of 1x to 3x, and identical hand rankings. Live dealer versions are also offered at some platforms, with a physical dealer running the game from a studio.
Practising online builds familiarity with the adjusted hand rankings. It is also a low-pressure way to test the Ante bet strategy before sitting at a physical table.
FAQ
A casino table game where each player builds the best four-card hand from five dealt cards and competes against the dealer. The dealer receives six cards and operates without a qualifying requirement, so every round produces a definitive outcome.
From lowest to highest: High Card, One Pair, Two Pair, Straight, Flush, Three of a Kind, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind. Three of a Kind ranks above a Flush in this game. In standard five-card poker those two hands are reversed.
For the Ante bet: bet 3x with a pair of tens or better, bet 1x with a pair of nines or lower, and fold with no pair. The dealer’s face-up card refines this framework. Reduce your bet size when that visible card ranks near or above your pair.
A variant with identical dealing structure. Players holding a Straight or better must bet exactly 3x the Ante. A Super Bonus side bet replaces the Aces Up wager, covering high-ranking hands at elevated multiples.
Yes. Both RNG and live dealer versions of four card poker are available at online casinos. The four card poker rules and hand rankings are identical to the casino floor version in both formats.
- 23 SUPER FUN 4TH OF JULY GAMES - July 2, 2026
- 15 Hilarious 4th of July Drinking Games - July 2, 2026
- 30 Summer Camp Games - July 2, 2026