Texas Holdem Bonus is an exotic new poker game that is turning up in more and more live and online casinos around the world. The game is like a mix of standard casino table games, using the versus-style format of games like Blackjack and Let It Ride, combined with the standard game play and rules of Texas Holdem Poker.
If you already know how to play Texas Holdem, you shouldn’t have any problem picking up on Texas Holdem Bonus Poker. The only real difference is that your competing against the dealer, not any of the other players around you, to develop the best 5-card poker hand. The betting style is a little different too.
Rules of Texas Holdem Bonus
The following is a step-by-step guide to how to play Texas Holdem Bonus. There can generally be anywhere from 1 to 6 players, or however many player seats are available at the table. A standard deck of 52 cards will be used.
Ante: First, each player will post an Ante bet.
Bonus Bet: Players have the option of placing a Bonus Side Bet for the Texas Holdem Bonus Jackpot. We’ll discuss this optional bet more in a moment.
The Deal: Each player and the deal will be dealt 2 cards, face down. These are your Hole Cards.
Playing or Folding the Hand: If you decide to play your hand, you will need to place a bet equal to twice that of your Ante bet. (i.e. If your Ante is $1, the Bet is $2.) To fold at this point would result in an instant loss of your Ante (and Bonus Side Bet, if placed).
The Flop: The dealer will place three cards in the middle of the table, face-up. This is called the Flop, the first three of 5 community cards. Players will combine these cards with their own Hole Cards to develop a complete hand.
Betting Round: Players will now decide whether to place another bet, or Check. If placing a bet, it must be equal to the original Ante. So if you Anted $1, this bet will also be $1. Checking is to continue with the hand, but without placing a bet. Either way, you get to continue playing the hand.
The Turn: A fourth community card is placed in the middle of the table, again face-up.
Last Betting Round: Another betting round takes place in the same fashion as the last. You can Check, choosing not to bet but to continue the hand, or place a bet equal to your Ante. This is the last opportunity to bet in Texas Holdem Bonus Poker.
The River: A fifth and final community card is dealt.
Dealers Hand: The dealer will reveal his Hole Cards, and the best possible 5-card hand he can muster using the 7 cards available to him (community cards and his own hole cards).
Players Hand: The dealer flips over all players hole cards. Each player will do the same as the dealer, determining their best possible 5 card hand from their own hole cards and the community cards. In a live casino, the dealer will pick out the best hand for each player as they were trained to do. The player does not touch the cards.
Winning: the dealer will pay all hands that beat his own. The payoff is equal to the players total bet throughout the hand of Texas Holdem Bonus Poker. In some casinos, the Ante is not paid, only the following bets.
Losing: If the dealers hand beats the players hand, the dealer collects the entire bet from the player, including the Ante bet.
Texas Holdem Bonus Bet
If a player has placed a Jackpot Bonus Side Bet, the wager is based on the players hole cards alone. Winning or losing the actual hand has no bearing on the side bet.
Winning hole cards are generally any pair, and hands of A-J, A-Q and A-K. When these latter hands are suited, they pay more. The actual pay tables vary greatly from one casino to the next, so be sure to check out the Texas Holdem Bonus Side Bet Pay Table before placing a jackpot bonus bet.