How to Play Ultimate Texas Hold’em 

If you know how to play online poker, you will love to play Ultimate Texas Hold’em online. One of the freshest variations of the game, Ultimate Texas Hold’em has become widely popular among casinos in the US. In Las Vegas and many other states, it is currently one of the most sought after niche table games. When Ultimate Texas Hold’em was launched, it could only be played on multi-player electronic machines. However, as time passed, the popularity of the game skyrocketed and some casinos decide to expand it into a table game.

About Ultimate Texas Hold’em

Invented by Roger Snow of Shuffle Master, Ultimate Texas Hold’em is a poker-based casino game wherein the player plays only against the dealer with the freedom to make one raise at any point during the course of the hand. It is important to note that when the raise is made earlier, its value is higher.

Players begin by making an ante and blind bet. Players also have an optional Trips side which allows them to receive a payout regardless of whether their hand wins or loses. It is different from other poker-based game in a way that the ante still have action even after raises have been made and even if the dealer does not open. Moreover, both of the ante and blind bets should be equal.

Aside from featuring the best poker sites, we also take time to review the newest formats of the game. We’ve taken the legwork off your shoulders and compiled all the details you need to know if you want to learn Ultimate Texas Hold’em.

How to Play Ultimate Texas Hold’em

The format of this game is a lot similar to the usual Texas Hold’em games that are available in most online poker sites. You will get two cards and so does the dealer. You will be given the freedom to look at your cards so you can decide if you want to check or raise four times the ante. The option to raise three times will also be available to you. However, it is important to note that there is never really a hand where you can incorporate this move as a basic strategy. If at any point in the hand you raise, the action from your end will end.

After you make this decision, you will be shown three cards which are known as the “flop.” If you did not raise before the flop, you will be given the option to raise two times the ante. In this scenario, another option available for you is checking.

The last two cards will be shown once the post-flop betting has been resolved. This is the time when players are required to either fold or match their ante. This will be followed by the dealer exposing his two cards and grading the hand. To qualify, the dealer must have at least a paired board. The ante pushes if the dealer does not qualify. This will still be true even if the player has a hand that loses to the dealer. On the other hand, if the dealer qualifies, the one with the best hand wins the ante bet. The same rules apply whether you’re playing in a casino or playing online poker for real cash.

The blind and raises remain in play even if the dealer qualifies or not. Meanwhile, if the player gets beaten by the dealer, both the raise and the blind bet lose. On the other hand, if the dealer gets beaten by the player, the raise will be matched. The blind bet and the raise are pushed by ties.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Rules

1. Like the common variations of poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em is played with a single ordinary 52-card deck.
2. Players are required to make an equal bet on both the blind and the ante, and they can also place an optional Trips bet.
3. The dealer places two cards face down to the player and the player is allowed to look at them.
4. The player will then decide to make or check a Play bet equal to four or three times the Ante.
5. Three community cards are then turned over by the dealer.
6. A player will be allowed to make a Play bet equal to twice their ante if they previously checked. On the other hand, if the player already made a Play bet, they will not be allowed to go further.
7. Two final community cards will then be turned over.
8. If the player previously checked two times, then they must decide make a Play bet equal to exactly their Ante, or fold, losing both their Ante and Blind bets. On the other hand, if the player already raised, they will not be allowed to place wagers any further.
9. The player and dealer will then work to come up with the best possible hand using any combination of from their own two cards and the five community cards.
10. At least a pair will be necessary for the dealer to open.
11. Take a look at the table below to see how the blind, ante and play bets are scored, depending on who wins, and whether the dealer opens:

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Rules for Scoring

12. Ante and Play bets that win pay 1 to 1. Blind bets that win pay according to the pay table below.

Pay Table for Blind Bets

13. The Trips bet’s payout will depend on the poker value of the player’s hand – regardless of the value of the dealer’s hand. These are all according to one of the Trip bet pay tables illustrated below.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Return Analysis

Each hand presents about 52 possible outcomes. Assume that a player is using optimal Ultimate Texas Hold’em Strategy. Look at the table below to see the each hand’s probability and its contribution to the total return. A 4x raise is also known as a “large raise,” a 2x raise as “medium,” and 1x as “small.”

At the lower right cell, you can see a 2.185% house edge per ante bet. For instance, if you initially place a $1 wager on both the Ante and Blind, then expect an average of 2.185 cent in loss. However, if you want to compare Ultimate Texas Hold’em to other games, it would be more appropriate to look at the Element of Risk. By the end of the hand, the total average amount of the bet is 4.152252 times the ante bet. In this case, the element of risk would be 0.526% as illustrated in the calculation below:

2.185% / 4.152252 = 0.526%

Poker players who tend to bet largely should be careful when dealing with possible maximum payouts. If the ante bet is larger than 1/500 of the maximum payout, then the player will have insufficient funds on a royal flush. There will be a 0.308% increase on the house edge with ever 100 effective payout on a royal going down.

Return Table for Ultimate Texas Hold’em

How to Win Ultimate Texas Hold’em

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Large Raise

There’s a particular strategy you can follow if you want to win Ultimate Texas Hold’em. You always make a large raise (4x), when you have an Ace. On the other hand, when you have a King, you only make a raise with 2, 3, and 4 when it is suited. With a Queen, you never make a raise with 2, 3, 4, and 5 and rarely with 6 and 7. With a Jack, you only make a raise with a 10 and sometimes with an 8 and a 9. Never ever make a large raise when you have lower number card combination.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Medium Raise

You make a medium raise (2x) whenever you have a two-pair or even better. You can also make the 2x raise when there’s a hidden pair – at least one card in your hole card that is hidden to the dealer. However, pocket deuces are exempted when you’re making a medium raise with a hidden pair. You also make the 2x raise with four to a flush which includes a hidden 10 or better to that flush. 

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Small Raise

When there’s a hidden pair or something better you make a small raise (1x), otherwise you should fold. 

Trips Bet Payout

There are also different possible payouts for trips bets. As previously mentioned, Ultimate Texas Hold’em was invented by Roger Snow of Shuffle Master. They have illustrated four possible pay tables for the Trips bet.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Trips Bet Pay Table 1

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Trips Bet Pay Table 2

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Trips Bet Pay Table 3

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Trips Bet Pay Table 4

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Small Progressive

A lot of tables in Las Vegas casinos offer progressive side bets worth $1. The highest win involves a royal flush with at least one card in a hole. If there’s another player who receives a hidden royal, there will be a $100 bonus. Look at the table below to see the possible returns from fixed wins. It illustrates that there is a 45.68% return before envy bonuses and jackpots.

There is a 3.08% return per $1000 in a jackpot. For the envy bonus, the return is 0.308% for every additional player at the table. So in the meter, every additional player at the table is worth $100.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Break Even Jackpots

In the table below, you will see what it takes for the small progressive to give exactly a 100% return.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em Big Progressive

Given the fact that in order to win a Big Progressive, the player must flop, this type of jackpot tends to be bigger. In this scenario, the player is not allowed to use the River and Turn cards to win the jackpot. The Big Progressive does not feature an Envy Bonus.

Big Progressive Jackpot ($100,000)

At any given time, there is a 50.19% return with an additional  3.00% for every $10,000 in the meter. For the house edge to exactly be at zero, the meter should be $165,959.74.

So there you have it – our ultimate guide to the Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker! Remember to have this page bookmarked so the next time you play the game, you will have an effective strategy in winning the Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker.