Casino Hold’em
Casino Hold’em is a banked version of Texas Hold’em. You play one hand against the dealer instead of other players, there is no bluffing and only one betting decision. It runs as a live dealer game (Evolution’s Casino Hold’em is the most widely distributed version) and as an RNG table game.
How a Round Works
- Ante. You place the Ante bet. You may also place the optional AA Bonus side bet.
- Deal. You and the dealer each receive two hole cards. The dealer’s cards stay face down. Three community cards (the flop) are dealt face up.
- Decision. Looking at your two cards plus the flop, you either Call by placing a bet equal to 2x your Ante, or Fold and lose the Ante (and the AA Bonus is still settled).
- Turn and river. Two more community cards are dealt, giving five on the board.
- Showdown. The dealer’s cards are revealed. Both hands use the best five of seven cards, ranked by the standard poker hand rankings.
Dealer Qualification and Settlement
The dealer must have a pair of fours or better to qualify.
| Outcome | Ante | Call |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer does not qualify | Paid per the Ante paytable | Push (returned) |
| Dealer qualifies, you win | Paid per the Ante paytable | Pays 1 to 1 |
| Dealer qualifies, dealer wins | Loses | Loses |
| Tie | Push | Push |
Ante paytable
The Ante pays according to your final hand whenever it wins:
| Your hand | Ante 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 |
Worked example
You bet A$10 Ante and call A$20 with K♠ Q♠ on a flop of K♦ 9♠ 4♠. The board finishes K♦ 9♠ 4♠ 2♥ 7♠, giving you a spade flush. The dealer shows A♣ 9♦ (a pair of nines, which qualifies). You win: the Ante pays 2 to 1 (A$20) and the Call pays 1 to 1 (A$20), for A$40 profit. If the dealer had held 8♦ 3♣ (no pair; ace-high is not enough), the Ante would still pay A$20 and the Call would push.
House Edge and RTP
With the paytable above and optimal call/fold decisions, the house edge is 2.16% of the Ante, an RTP of 97.84%. Because a call adds 2 units, the average total amount wagered per hand is about 2.64 units, so the house edge relative to all money bet (the element of risk) is about 0.8%.
| Bet | House edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ante + Call (optimal play) | 2.16% of Ante | Standard paytable |
| AA Bonus side bet | 6.26% | Calculated from the paytable below |
Some RNG versions use a different Ante paytable. Check the help screen; the stated RTP should be close to 97.84% for the standard table.
The AA Bonus Side Bet
The AA Bonus is settled on your two hole cards plus the three flop cards only. It wins on a pair of aces or better, regardless of the dealer’s hand and regardless of whether you fold.
| First five cards (your 2 + flop) | Pays | Combinations out of 2,598,960 |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 100 to 1 | 4 |
| Straight flush | 50 to 1 | 36 |
| Four of a kind | 40 to 1 | 624 |
| Full house | 30 to 1 | 3,744 |
| Flush | 20 to 1 | 5,108 |
| Pair of aces to straight | 7 to 1 | 273,144 |
The bet wins about 10.9% of the time and returns 93.74%, a house edge of 6.26%, almost three times the main game’s edge. It is a high-variance add-on, not a way to improve the base game.
When to Call and When to Fold
Optimal strategy calls about 82% of the time and folds about 18%. Folding is correct only when you have very little: the call costs 2 units, but it also wins whenever the dealer fails to qualify, which happens often enough to justify calling with many weak hands.
Practical guidelines that capture most of the value:
- Always call with any pair or better, including a pair made with the board (for example, you hold 6-x and the flop has a 6).
- Always call with four to a flush or an open-ended straight draw.
- Call with an ace or king in your hand in most other situations.
- Consider folding when you have no pair, no draw and both hole cards are lower than the highest flop card, especially on a paired or coordinated flop where the dealer is more likely to qualify.
- Do not fold because the dealer “probably has something”. The dealer’s cards are random and unseen; base the decision only on your hand and the board.
Folding too often is the most common and most expensive mistake. Each unnecessary fold gives up the Ante, while a call on a marginal hand often recovers it when the dealer misses the pair-of-fours qualifier.
Casino Hold’em vs Other Banked Poker Games
| Game | Main-game house edge | Dealer qualifier | Cards | Main decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Hold’em | 2.16% | Pair of 4s | 2 + 5 community | Call 2x or fold after the flop |
| Three Card Poker | 3.37% (Ante/Play) | Queen high | 3 | Play 1x or fold |
| Caribbean Stud | 5.22% | Ace-king | 5 | Raise 2x or fold |
| Jacks or Better (video poker) | 0.46% (9/6) | None | 5 + draw | Which cards to hold |
Casino Hold’em has the lowest edge of the dealer-banked poker table games, though well-paid video poker returns more.
Playing Live Casino Hold’em
Live Casino Hold’em is part of the poker range of Evolution, alongside Caribbean Stud and 3 Card Poker. Betting windows are short (usually around 10 to 20 seconds for the call decision), so learn the call/fold guidelines before joining a live table. Table limits are set by the casino; minimum Antes are typically low, but remember that a call triples your total bet.
Casinos listing Evolution in their lobbies include MORI WIN and MrPunter; see our live dealer casinos list for more. General live table etiquette and connection tips are in our live dealer tips. Return to the casino poker guide for other poker games.
Frequently Asked Questions
A pair of fours or better using the best five of seven cards. If the dealer does not qualify, your Ante is paid per the paytable and your Call is returned.
2.16% of the Ante with the standard paytable and optimal play, an RTP of 97.84%. The AA Bonus side bet has a 6.26% house edge.
Exactly twice the Ante. If you bet A$5 Ante, calling adds A$10, for A$15 in play.
Yes. It is settled on your two hole cards and the flop, independently of the main hand and of your decision to call or fold.
Optimal strategy folds only about 18% of hands. Most losing players fold too often.
Casino Hold’em has a built-in house edge on every hand. Play only if you are 18 or older; Gambling Help Online (1800 858 858) offers free, confidential support.