Four Card Poker is a game that rewards skill, patience and lots of nerve. Knowing when to fold, when to make the Play bet and how much to bet is what separates a skilled Four Card Poker player from an amateur.

Below are some Four Card Poker strategy that greatly reduces the house edge and also enables you to enjoy the volatile nature of the game.

Hand Dealt	Action
Pair of 2s or less	Fold
Pair of 3s to 9s	Bet 1x Ante
Pair of 10s or better	Bet 3x Ante

Winning Strategy

• If you have a pair of 2’s or less you must fold, you might lose the initial bet but its better than losing out a lot. Just be patient and wait for a good hand.
• Pair of threes through nine’s you should bet at least Ante X1
• Pair of ten’s or better, max up the ante and bet Ante X3. The dealer’s average hand is a pair of 9s, so whenever you have 10s or better, you’re favoured to win.

Four Card Poker Ranking of Hands (Highest to Lowest)

Four Card Poker hand rankings are slightly different than traditional poker rankings. Cards are ranked from highest to lowest in this order: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. An Ace may be used to complete a “Straight Flush” or a “Straight” with a Two, Three and Four.

Four of a kind	Four cards in the same rank, regardless of suit. Example: 5D, 5H, 5S, 5C. Four aces is the highest ranked Four-of-a-kind and four 2’s is the lowest ranked four-of-a-kind.
Straight Flush	Four cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking. Example: 10C, 9C, 8C, 7C. Ace, King, Queen and Jack are the highest ranked straight flush and 4, 3, 2 and Ace is the lowest ranked straight flush.
Three of a kind	Three cards in the same rank, regardless of suit. Example: 5D, 5H, 5S. Three Aces is the highest ranked three of a kind and three 2’s is the lowest ranked three of a kind.
Flush	Four cards of same suit, regardless of rank. Example: QH, 9H, 4H, 2H. An Ace, King and Jack is the highest ranked flush and a 5, 3 and 2 is the lowest ranked flush.
Straight	Four cards of consecutive rank, regardless of suit. Example: JS, 10H, 9C. Ace, King, Queen ad Jack are highest ranked straight and Ace, 2, 3, 4 is the lowest ranked straight.
Two Pair	Two pair is a hand that contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank. Example: JH, JC, 4C, 4S.
Pair	Two cards of same rank, regardless of suit. Two aces is the highest ranked pair and two 2’s is the lowest ranked pair.

Four Card Poker Terms & Definitions

In addition to knowing some of the common Poker terminology, below are some common Four Card Poker terms and definitions that you must know in order to master the Game of Four Card Poker.

Ante Wager: is the wager that a player is required to make before any cards are dealt in order to compete against the dealer’s hand in a round of play.

Aces up wager: is the optional wager that a player may make before any cards being dealt. it’s a bet that the player’s best four card poker will be a pair of Aces or better. Winning Aces up wager are paid in accordance with a posted pay table regardless of the outcome of the player’s hand against the dealer’s hand.

Play wager: is an additional wager, in an amount from one to three times the amount of the player’s ante wager, that a player is required to make if the player decides to remain in competition against the dealer.

Six Card Bonus Wager

In Three-Card Poker, players have the option to make a Six Card Bonus wager prior to any cards being dealt. To place a Six Card Bonus wager, the player must also have made ANTE and PAIR PLUS Wager.

The Six Card Bonus side bet is based on the best five-card poker hand that can be made from the three-cards dealt to the player’s hand and the three-cards dealt to the dealer’s hand. Each Player then uses any of those six cards, regardless of the number of cards used from their hand or the dealer’s hand to make the best possible five card poker hand. The six card bonus wins if the player’s 3 cards combined with the dealer’s 3 cards contains a three-of-a-kind or better.

The rules of a 6 Card Bonus wager are as follows:

• A player can only place a 6 Card Bonus wager if he/she has also placed an Ante wager prior to the initial deal.
• The 6 Card Bonus wagers must be placed before the initial deal.
• If the player’s hand qualifies for bonus payouts, the player is paid according to the posted paytable.
• If the player’s hand does not qualify for bonus payouts, the dealer collects the 6 Card Bonus wager.
• The 6 Card Bonus wager may win or lose regardless of the outcome of the Ante wager. The 6 Card Bonus wager will not be forfeited if the player folds their hand and does not place a Play wager. If a player wagers the 6 Card Bonus side bet and folds his hand, the dealer will remove the original Three Card Poker wager and place the player’s cards under the 6 Card Bonus wager.

6 CARD BONUS PAYOUT

Winning 6 Card Bonus wagers pay as follows:

Royal Flush	1,000 to 1
Straight Flush	200 to 1
Four-of-a-kind	50 to 1
Full House	25 to 1
Flush	15 to 1
Straight	10 to 1
Three-of-a-kind	5 to 1