How is 4-Card Poker Played?
It is played with 4 card hands, and the odds of 4 card straights and flushes differ from those of 5 card hands. Therefore Four card poker has different hands ranking. Straight flush is ranked lower than four of a kind and higher than three of a kind, full house is removed and flush is lower than 2 pairs. Here is the complete ranking of Four card poker from the highest to the lowest:
- Royal Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Straight Flush
- Three of a Kind
- Straight
- Two Pairs
- Flush
- One Pair
- High Card
Ace Up Wager:
In Four card poker, players can make a side bet called Aces Up Wager. This bet is paid back if the player has two aces or higher hand regardless of the result of the main game. The payout rates of Ace Up Wager may vary from casino to casino, but they usually are high. Three of a kind, for example, is normally paid 7 to 1.
Although Four card poker hand ranking is different from classic poker, the basic strategy is very similar. Here are the most important combination, action pairs for Four card poker:
- Pair of 2s or less: fold
- Pair of 3s, Pair of 10s: bet even money
- Pair of Jacks, Pair of Kings: double the ante
- Pair of Aces or better: triple the ante
Four card poker is usually played at slow pace and winnings or losses are not very frequent. Therefore it is advisable to set a time limit of approximately 30 minutes and leave the table to make a break after this time is over, no matter if you win lose or draw, because playing the same game continuously for such long time tires the player and makes him lose concentration.
