Ultimate Texas Hold em Online
Ultimate Texas Hold'em Online
The premise of Ultimate Texas Hold em is simple:
- Beat the dealer in a standard hand of Texas Hold em
All of the standard hand rankings of Texas Hold'em poker apply although the betting works slightly different than a normal player vs. player round of Hold em
Once all the betting is done, the player and dealer compare hands and the best 5-card poker hand wins. The Ultimate Texas Hold em player is then paid out according to the bets they made along the way and their final hand.
Ultimate Texas Hold em Rules
On the table in front of you (either live or online) you will see different betting circles:
- Ante
- Blinds
- Play
- Trips
To play a hand of Ultimate Texas Hold'em you need to make at least 2 bets - the Ante and Blinds bet. The Trips bet is an optional bet you can make which pays out only if you hit certain hands.
The Play bet you can make in different multiples of your original bets at various points in the hand. Here s how a hand of Ultimate Texas Hold em works:
- Each player makes the two mandatory opening bets - an "ante" bet and a "blinds" bet
- There is also an optional "Trips" bet players can choose before the deal
- Two cards are then dealt face down to the players and the dealer
- Once players have checked their cards they can choose to add on a "Play" bet at a value of 3x or 4x the ante bet
- Players can also check and wait for the next betting round
- Dealer then deals 3 community cards face up on the table. These are shared between players and dealer
- If the player checked in the first betting round they can now make a Play bet worth 2x ante or can check again
- Once you've made the Play bet you can t bet again
- After players have again bet or checked the dealer deals two more shared community cards in the middle of the table
- If player has yet to make a Play bet (checked twice) they must now either fold (lose both their ante and blinds bets) or bet 1x ante
Once all the cards have been dealt and all Play bets made the dealer will reveal their hole cards and declare their best 5-card hand.
Ultimate Hold em: Dealer Qualifying Hand
Note: The dealer must have at least a pair to have a qualifying hand. if the dealer does not have a qualifying hand your Ante bet is returned to you. All other bets receive action.
Ultimate Texas Hold'em Payouts
After all the cards have been distributed and all extra Play bets made, hands are then evaluated based on the standard poker hand rankings. If you need a reminder of how the official poker hand rankings work, check our page here:
Here's how it's determined if payouts are required:
Play, Blind Ante Bets
- If your hand beats the dealer s hand: Play and Ante bets pay 1:1; Blinds bet pays according to scale
- If the Dealer hand beats your hand: Play, Ante and Blind bets all lose
- If Dealer fails to open: Ante bet returned to player
- If the final hands are tied: All bets are a push
Blind Bet Payouts
Your Blinds bet from the beginning of the hand will pay you out according to the strength of your hand. This is regardless of whether it beats the dealer hand or not.
The minimum hand you need to get paid is a Straight. If you beat the dealer with less than a Straight, though, your bet is a push. Here is a standard payout chart for Ultimate Texas Hold'em Blinds bets:
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal Flush | 500 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10 to 1 |
| Full House | 3 to 1 |
| Flush | 3 to 2 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 |
Ultimate Texas Holdem - Trips Bet
The Trips bet has a slightly more complex payout structure than the other bets. Bets are won according to the value of your hand regardless of whether your hand beats the dealer's.
Each Trips pay table will likely be slightly different but a common one looks like this:
- Royal Flush 50:1
- Straight Flush: 40:1
- Four of a Kind 30:1
- Full House 9:1
- Flush 7:1
- Straight 4:1
- Three of a Kind 3:1
- All Other -1
Again, this is an optional bet you do not have to make before the hand starts to pay but can pay out an extra bonus, if you will, should you hit a big hand. The house edge for the Trips bet is usually around 1.9%
Ultimate Texas Hold'em - Other Bets
Depending on the casino you're in or the online casino you're playing it you may find some other optional bets at your Ultimate Texas Hold'em table.
Progressive Jackpot
At some Ultimate Texas Hold'em tables you can find an optional Progressive Jackpot bet you can make. This is usually either $1 or $5. A portion of each bet is contributed to a growing progressive jackpot that pays out should a big hand hit.
The cards used to make up your Progressive Jackpot hand are your two hole cards and the first three community cards only. A Royal Flush pays out 100% of the progressive jackpot and a Straight Flush 10%. Lower ranked hands are paid out on a sliding scael.
Hole Card Bonus
The Hole Card bonus can be found in Vegas and elsewhere and pays out based on hole cards alone, both yours and the dealers. Common hole card bonus bets include:
- Both you and dealer have aces: 1000-1
- You have aces: 30-1
- AK Suited: 25-1
- AQ Suites: 20-1
Ultimate Texas Hold'em - Basic Strategy
While players who have a lot of experience playing Texas Holdem will immediately feel comfortable playing Ultimate Texas Hold'em as a casino game, the optimal strategy is slightly different given a few obvious factors:
- You are only playing against the dealer, not any other players
- There is no fold equity or making the dealer fold when you have a bad hand
- There is no bluffing
- Position makes no difference
- There is no rake
An understanding of the basic Texas Hold'em odds of hitting certain hands on the flop, turn and river come in handy but how much and when to bet is slightly different.
Knowing when to bet the max (4x) or 3x on the flop or waiting for later streets and smaller bets is a crucial part of making Ultimate Texas Hold'em profitable but they can be rather complex equations.
A general understanding of when your "outs" are likely to hit is very helpful though and can guide you in a general sense towards optimal strategy.
Related Articles:
Ultimate Texas Hold'em - Best Payouts
The simplest and most effective Ultimate Texas Holdem strategy to remember is pre-flop, and that is:
- Bet the max (4x your ante and not 3x) when you are dealt premium hole cards
What hands qualify as premium hole cards? Well, loosely:
- Pairs - 33 or higher
- Q6 suited or higher
- J8 suited or higher
- Any suited King
- Q8 unsuited or higher
- K5 unsuited or higher
- Any Ace
If you have hole card combinations lower than these you can still proceed to make bets on later streets (they still might turn into quality hands) but it is better to check or fold right there than raise pre-flop.
Post-Flop Ultimate Texas Hold'em Strategy
Once you've reached the flop the computations and decisions to play "perfect" Ultimate Texas Hold'em Strategy get far more complicated. If you've played a lot of hands of Texas Hold'em online you likely have a good feel for which hands will ultimately hit or not.
Otherwise, a Ultimate Texas Hold'em odds calculator is required to know what to do in each and every situation. As a few general rules though:
- Raise 2x when you have two pair or better, a hidden pair (one hole card, one community card) above 22 and 4 cards to a flush
- Raise 1x on the final bet if you have a hidden pair or better or under 21 dealer outs that can beat your hand
Ultimate Texas Hold'em - House Edge
As far as casino table games go, Ultimate Texas Hold'em has a fairly low house edge. Taken separately your ante and blinds bets lose about 2.2% of the time. Together, they drop down to about 1%.
So overall you have a fairly decent shot at breaking even. To really minimize the house edge you need to follow the optimal strategy as loosely outlined above or by pinpointing exact scenarios with an Ultimate Texas Hold'em calculator or chart.
We won't provide you with a full breakdown here but you can dig around and find them online easily. What we will say, though, that is you fold most of your trash hands and make sure you raise the maximum when you have the best hole cards as outlined above, you won't stray too far from optimal strategy.
Best of luck at the tables!
Play Ultimate Texas Hold'em Free Online
As we always recommend, the best way to get your feet underneath you before plunging down any big bets is to try out the free "instant play" version of any casino game online.
All of the best online casinos you'll find on our toplists will have free instant play (or "demo") versions of Ultimate Texas Hold'em you can launch right in your Internet browser and play away with free chips.
You won't win any real money, obviously, but it will give you a great sense for how the game play will flow online, where and how to place your bets and help you recognize hand scenarios where you're more or less likely to beat the dealer.
More on Online Casinos
If you'd like to refresh your understanding of Texas Hold'em odds and outs, check our pages here:
Ultimate Texas Hold Em Poker
Ultimate Texas Hold Em is one of the newest variations of poker to be created and it has become widely available in most U.S. casinos over the last several years. Today it is one of the most popular niche table games in almost every casino that offers it.
When Ultimate Texas Hold Em was first introduced, the game was only available on multiplayer electronic machines. Since that time, its popularity has exploded and it has been expanded into a live table game which is the most common variety played in casinos today. It is now a registered trademark of Bally Gaming.
Currently Ultimate Texas Hold Em is available at most Las Vegas casinos and many others throughout the country. Like other forms of poker, Ultimate Texas Hold Em is played with a single 52-card standard deck of cards. Players start off by making a blind and ante bet. Unlike traditional Texas Hold Em variations, however, these two wagers must be equal. There is also an optional Trips side bet which pays regardless of whether your hand wins or loses. Read on to learn more about Ultimate Texas Hold Em payouts, rules and how to play.
Ultimate Texas Hold Em Articles
Ultimate Texas Hold Em Payouts Winning Hands
The blind, ante and play bets are each scored slightly differently depending on the outcome of the hand. The blind bet has its own special pay table, according to the strength of the overall hand. For the blind, winning hands of a straight or better have special payouts. Winning ante and play bets are paid out at 1:1. Below we have put together a basic chart outlining each of these:
Overall Payouts Based on Winning Hand
| Winner | Dealer Qualifies | Blind Bet | Ante Bet | Play Bet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | ? | Win | Win | Win |
| Player | ? | Win | Push | Win |
| Dealer | ? | Lose | Lose | Lose |
| Dealer | ? | Lose | Push | Lose |
| Tie | N/A | Push | Push | Push |
Blind Bet Payout
Royal Flush: 500-1
Straight Flush: 50-1
Four of a Kind: 10-1
Full House: 3-1
Flush: 3-2
Straight: 1-1
Trips Bet Payouts
The Trips side bet is optional and pays regardless of whether the hand wins or not. It even wins if the board makes the hand, making it one of the most popular features of Ultimate Texas Hold Em. It is also worth noting that players may fold and still win the Trips bet. Below we have outlined payouts based on the winning hand:
Royal Flush: 50-1
Straight Flush: 40-1
Four of a Kind: 30-1
Three of a Kind: 8-1
Full House: 8-1
Flush: 6-1
Straight: 5-1
How to Play Ultimate Texas Hold Em
The format used in Ultimate Texas Hold Em is similar to other versions of Texas Hold Em that are spread in poker rooms. The biggest draws are that unlike other poker varieties, Ultimate Hold Em is played against the dealer and there is an optional trips bet (which we go over below). Another draw comes from the raise format, which offers the player an opportunity to raise as a multiple of of ante. These factors help add a higher level of excitement to the game. Below well outline the rules and payouts associated with Ultimate Texas Hold Em.
1. To start off, players receive two cards and so does the dealer. The players look at their cards and decide whether to check or to raise. If they opt to raise, it must amount to four times the ante. There is also an option to raise only three times however, there is never a hand where basic strategy calls for this move. A raise at any point in the hand ends any player action.
2. After this decision, three cards (known as the flop) are shown. Players that did not raise before the flop now have the option of raising two times the ante. Checking is also an option here.
3. After the post-flop betting has been resolved, the last two cards are shown. At this point, players must either match their ante or fold.
4. The dealer then exposes his two cards and grades the hand. The dealer must have at least one pair to qualify. A paired board is considered a qualifier, even if the dealer did not match it.
5. If the dealer does not qualify, then the ante pushes; even if the player s hand loses to the dealer. If the dealer s hand qualifies, the best hand wins the ante bet. This is the same whether playing in a casino or online at top poker sites for real money.
Additional notes: Regardless of whether the dealer qualifies, the blind and raises are in play. If the dealer beats the player then the blind bet and raise lose. If the player beats the dealer, the raise is matched. Ties push the raise and blind bet.
Ultimate Texas Hold Em Progressive
When it comes to the excitement level of Ultimate Texas Hold Em, the possibility of hitting a progressive certainly adds to the game. There are generally two types of progressive available at a table. This includes a small and big progressive. Obviously, this will vary from casino to casino, and sometimes even state to state. Most commonly, to qualify for the progressive requires the player to place a $1 side bet.
Small Progressive
A small progressive refers to a player making certain hands by using at least 1 hole card. The highest payout comes from hitting a Royal Flush. Doing so will mean you get paid out the entire small progressive jackpot. Other hands qualifying for the progressive are community royals, straight flushes, four of a kinds and full houses.
Big Progressive
A big progressive refers to when a player makes the same hands listed above without using any hole cards. Instead, the player must flop a Royal Flush to win the jackpot. The jackpot for big progressives are generally much higher than the small progressive, since the odds are much lower on hitting one. You can still, however, win by using hole cards. For example, making a royal with a hole card still pays 5% of the jackpot, while a community royal will generally pay $3,000.
The Definitive Guide to Ultimate Texas Holdem
Casinos are always looking for new games to offer bored gamblers. Over the last decade or 2, these games are more commonly related to poker than anything else. But games like these including Scientific Gaming s Ultimate Texas Holdem are more akin to blackjack than to poker. In fact, dealing Ultimate Texas Holdem is considered dealing a novelty casino game. The College of Southern Nevada covers how to deal Ultimate Texas Holdem in their blackjack class.
What s the big difference between Ultimate Texas Holdem (and games like it) and real poker games? The main difference is who you re competing with. In a so-called real poker game, you re competing with the other players at the table. If you win money, you re winning it from them. If you lose money, you re losing it to your competitors at the table.
This isn t a value judgment. It s perfectly all right to play house-banked casino games. Gamblers do it every day. I m pointing out the distinction because it s important to know what you re getting into when you play a casino game.
With that as a premise understanding in detail what you re getting into when you re playing a casino game I offer you this post: The Definitive Guide to Ultimate Texas Holdem. The idea is to share everything you would ever need or want to know about Ultimate Texas Holdem. Luckily, it s not that complicated a game. There s no need to write an entire book about it, like you would do with blackjack or poker.
An Introduction to Ultimate Texas Holdem
Ultimate Texas Holdem is a card game where you play heads-up against a casino dealer. Other players at the table are also playing heads-up against the dealer. It features a progressive jackpot, among other payouts.
You start by making 2 equal-sized bets:
- The Ante Bet
- The Blind Bet
At most casinos, the minimum bet is either $5 or $10. The maximum bet is usually between $50 an $500.
You also have 2 optional bets you can make:
- The Trips Bonus Bet
- The Progressive Bet
You start by getting 2 hole cards from the dealer these are 2 cards that are dealt to you face-down, just like in regular Texas holdem.
When you get those cards, you can choose from the following actions:
- Check
- Bet 3X the Ante (A Play Bet.)
- Bet 4X the Ante (Also a Play Bet.)
After you ve made your decision, the dealer reveals 3 face-up cards the flop. (This is also how regular Texas holdem works.)
If you checked when you got your hole cards, you have the option now to place a bet of 2X the Ante (another example of a Play Bet. ) After that decision is made, the dealer turns over 2 more face-up cards the turn and the river, in Texas holdem terms. Note that the action here is different than in traditional Texas holdem. Normally you d have a turn, followed by a betting round, then the river, followed by another betting round.
Once you ve made your decision, the dealer reveals her hole cards and announces the final hand. If your hand beats the dealer s hand (using the standard poker hand rankings), you win even money on your Ante bets and the Play bets. On the other hand, if the dealer s hand beats yours, you lose your Ante, Blind, and Play Bets. If you tie, then these bets are all treated as a push. (A push is when your original bet is returned to you, but without any winnings. You have neither a net win nor a net loss.)
The Blind Bet is handled differently. It pays off if you win AND if you have a straight or better. If you have less than a straight but still beat the dealer, the Blind Bet is treated as a push. The Blind Bet is paid off based on a pay table. The better your hand, the more it pays off. (It s like video poker in this respect.)
Casinos generally use a shuffling machine called an i-Deal single deck specialty shuffler. That s because this game was created by Shufflemaster, which is now a division of Scientific Games. Shufflemaster s reason for existence is to sell shuffling machines to casinos, so creating new cards is something they do in service to this goal.
Ultimate Texas Holdem Pay Tables
The Blind Bet and the Trips Bonus Bet have 2 different pay tables.
Here s a common pay table for the Blind Bet:
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal flush | 500 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 50 to 1 |
| 4 of a kind | 10 to 1 |
| Full house | 3 to 1 |
| Flush | 3 to 2 |
| Straight | Even money |
Keep in mind that the Blind Bet pays off regardless of whether the dealer qualifies. Also, notice that 3 of a kind doesn t pay off for the Blind Bet, which is an interesting quirk of the game. The pay tables can vary the casino gets to choose from multiple options. For example, some casinos pay off 40 to 1 instead of 50 to 1 for a straight flush. This changes the house edge for the game, of course.
Here s a common pay table for the Trips Bonus Bet:
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal flush | 50 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 40 to 1 |
| 4 of a kind | 30 to 1 |
| 3 of a kind | 8 to 1 |
| Full house | 8 to 1 |
| Flush | 6 to 1 |
| Straight | 5 to 1 |
Here are a couple of facts to keep in mind about the Trips Bonus Bet:
- Your hand doesn t have to win. It pays off regardless of whether you or the dealer wins.
- It wins even if you don t have to use your hole cards. You can just play the board (the flop, turn, and river.)
- It wins even if you fold.
How the Progressive Bet and Jackpot Works
The progressive bet in Ultimate Texas Holdem is also an optional side bet. At most casinos, this bet is a flat $1 bet. But at some casinos, the Progressive Bet is $5. You can win 1 of 2 progressive jackpots in this game the smaller jackpot, or the larger jackpot. To win the smaller progressive jackpot, you must use at least 1 of your hole cards. The smaller progressive pays off for hands that are a full house or better.
To win the bigger progressive jackpot which is 100% of the jackpot you must use both your hole cards and the flop to form a royal flush. If you hit the royal flush on the turn or the river, you don t win the bigger progressive. You can also win a percentage of the full big progressive jackpot
Casinos also feature something called an Envy Bonus. This is a bonus paid to any player at the table when one of the other players wins the progressive jackpot.
Ultimate Texas Holdem Strategy Advice
Casino games where you make decisions usually have a house edge that varies based on how well you make those decisions. In other words, your strategy matters. There s always a mathematically correct play in every situation. In Ultimate Texas Holdem, your strategy is limited to whether you make Play Bets during the various stages of the game. For me, this isn t an intuitive decision. You can find various websites offering strategies for this, but I have another recommendation:
The house edge is the amount of each bet that the casino projects you ll lose on average based on the probabilities behind the game. Obviously, the lower the house edge, the better for the player. You should do everything you can to minimize the house edge on any casino game you play.
If you use perfect basic strategy on Ultimate Texas Holdem, the house expects to win a little over 2%. Let s assume that the house edge is 10% if you don t know basic strategy. What does that do to the cost of playing the game in the long run?
There s an interesting post at Two Plus Two from a gambler describing his basic strategy for Ultimate Texas Holdem. I don t know how close it mirrors a mathematically perfect strategy, but here s what nonprofitgambler says is the correct way to play:
Preflop, he suggests raising with any of the following hands:
- Any ace
- Any k5+, and any king suited
- Q5s+, Q8+
- J8s+, JT+
- 33+ for pocket pairs
That small s after the number means that the cards are of the same suit (they re suited. ) On the flop, he says most people play the same, and that it s correct if you pair anything, you raise. But those obviously aren t the only hands you should raise with here. You should also bet flush draws, straight draws, and combination draws. This means you have 4 cards to a big hand. On the river, you should bet any kind of made hand, but some boards are scarier than others.
Finally, I d like to point out that the house edge on Ultimate Texas Holdem isn t outrageous, but blackjack is still almost always a better deal. With perfect basic strategy, many blackjack games have a house edge of just 0.5%. This means you get the same kind of entertainment for closer to $2/hour instead of $8/hour.
Free Ultimate Texas Holdem
You can play a nice, free version of Ultimate Texas Holdem at this site. It has a place where you can toggle the sound on and off. You can also toggle the give advice button off an on. If you ve never played Ultimate Texas Holdem before, this page is a great way to practice. It s refreshingly free of advertising, too, which is rare and unusual in this industry.
Also, if you like Ultimate Texas Holdem, I suggest you give multiplayer Texas holdem in the poker room a try if you haven t already. It s a lot more fun, and you have more of an opportunity to get an edge, since you re competing against other players.
That s it for my Definitive Guide to Ultimate Texas Holdem. I can t imagine any information you could want about the game that I ve left out. But if I did miss something, or if you have questions about Ultimate Texas Holdem that remain unanswered, please put a note in the comments.
Ultimate Texas Hold em Online
Ultimate Texas Hold’em takes the popular player-vs-player poker format and makes this into a casino table game. This game involves hole cards, a flop, turn and river. Unlike the original game, you are playing against the house, and not the other players.
With 3 chances to bet on every hand, the rules are more complex than for other casino table games. You can bet more on early streets than on later ones in Ultimate Texas Hold’em. The ability to ‘check’ is also part of the game. This keeps players involved until the end of each hand.
This page covers Ultimate Texas Hold’em (UTH) in depth. Below you will find the rules, set out as a single hand of the game. House edge and the popular ‘Trips’ side bet are covered after that. Strategy, legal online UTH games and a detailed FAQ are also included.
UTH rules: How Ultimate Texas Hold’em works
You need to place 2 bets to be dealt into a hand of Ultimate Texas Hold’em. These bets are of equal size. One is the ‘Ante’ and the other is the ‘Blind’. You also get the option to place a 3rd bet, ‘Trips’. This is a side bet. It is covered in the section below.
UTH is played with a single deck of cards, which is shuffled between deals.
Each player and the dealer are each dealt 2 ‘hole cards’ face down. You only get to look at your own cards. Sharing of hands between players is not allowed. 5 community cards are also dealt, these are all face-down at the start of the hand.
There are three possible betting rounds in each hand. Note that you only get to bet once, after which you simply wait for the outcome.
- Pre-Flop: Based on your hole cards you can choose to bet 3x or 4x your ante, or check (bet nothing and wait for the flop).
- On the Flop: Once the flop of 3 community cards is revealed, you get a second chance to bet. You can choose to bet 2x your ante or check once again.
- After the River: Next the final two community cards are revealed. You now get to choose between betting 1x your ante or folding your hand (losing both the Blind and Ante).
Next the dealer and players reveal their hands. There is a dealer qualification requirement. The dealer needs 1 pair or better to ‘Open’ (qualify). Your hand and the dealer’s best 5-card poker hand using any combination of the community cards and hole-cards will then be compared.
Here are how the bets are paid:
- Player Wins + Dealer Opens: Blind/Ante/Play all paid
- Player Wins + Dealer Does Not Open: Blind and Play bets paid, Ante is a Push
- Dealer Wins and Opens: All Blind/Ante/Play all lose
- Dealer Wins and Does Not Open: Blind and Play bets lose Ante is a Push
In the event of a tie all bets are considered a push.
Winning Ante and Play bets are paid at 1-to-1. Blind bets are different. They are paid depending on the strength of your poker hand. Note that anything below a straight is a push.
- Royal Flush: 500-to-1
- Straight Flush: 50-to-1
- 4 of a Kind: 10-to-1
- Full House: 3-to-1
- Flush: 3-to-2
- Straight: 1-to-1
Other casino table games
Strategy for Ultimate Texas Hold’em
To play optimally, a strategy card is recommended for this game. The requirements for whether to play, check or (after the river) fold are different as you go through the hand. There are some simple rules of thumb which will help with most of your decisions.
- Before the flop: Bet 4x with any pair, any ace, any suited king, King/5 unsuited or better, Queen/8+ (unsuited) and Queen with a 6 or 7 if suited, Jack + 10 unsuited, Jack with an 8 or 9 if suited. Every other hand is a check.
- On the flop: Bet 2x with any pair that includes one of your own hole cards, except for 2-2. 2 pairs or better or 4
to a flush (4 suited cards) where one of your own cards is at least a 10 of that suit. Otherwise check.
- After the river: Bet 1x with any hand better than a pair that includes one of your own hole cards. You should also bet where the dealer has less than 21 ‘outs’ to beat your hand. This is not always clear, with a judgement of how easily you could be beaten by high cards in the dealers hand a reasonable substitute.
UTH is not a game that works by ‘playing blind’ (betting regardless of your hole cards). With so much information available via the community cards, betting before you see them gives the casino a big house edge.
UTH side bets: Trips and progressive jackpots
Unlike many other casino table games, Ultimate Texas Hold’em already include a bonus payout. The mandatory ‘Blind’ bet pays up to 500-to-1 for a Royal Flush. There is also a popular ‘Trips’ side bet. Prizes for this will vary between casinos. Some, including Caesars Entertainment properties, tie a progressive jackpot to this bet.
To play you simply need to place a bet on the ‘Trips’ square before the cards are dealt. If the best hand possible using your own hole cards and the community cards is 3 of a kind or better, you will get paid according to this pay table:
- Royal Flush: 50-to-1
- Straight Flush: 40-to-1
- 4 of a Kind: 30-to-1
- Full House: 9-to-1
- Flush: 7-to-1
- Straight: 4-to-1
- 3 of a Kind: 3-to-1
All other hands lose this bet. The Trips side bet is completely separate from the hand against the dealer. You could lose the main hand against the dealer, and still get paid on this side bet.
House edge for Ultimate Texas Hold’em
This game is much harder to play ‘perfectly’ compared to other casino table games. While the headline house edge is around 2.2% for your Ante and Blind bets, that assumes a perfect decision every time.
You also need to consider the variable amounts you are betting. A pre-flop Play bet will be 4 units. While the edge on those bets is 0.5%, you’ll be betting 4x your Ante adding 2% house edge in terms of a single unit.
As usual the Trips side bet has a bigger edge for the casino. This is also a more volatile bet, only paying out for those rare 3 of a kind or better hands.
Where to legally play Ultimate Texas Hold’em online?
There are currently 4 states with legal online casinos where you can enjoy playing UTH online. With many other states legalizing sports betting and others considering casino games, it is hoped that this list will expand soon. The current states with regulated online casinos are:
Online casinos in these states offer table games including UTH via mobile phone (and iPhone) casino apps or on desktop computers via their browser-based casino clients. The casinos have geolocation technology which ensures they only allow gaming from inside state lines.
You’ll find software-based table games at all online casinos. As well as Ultimate Texas Hold’em there are blackjack tables, roulette wheels, 3 Card Poker games and many other variations of popular casino games. Most of the games at all online casinos are slots. These combine the popular games from live casinos with slots developed for casino apps.
Live dealer online UTH games
Live dealer rooms are popular at online casinos. These stream real games in real time from studios based at brick and mortar casinos. You can bet using an overlay, dragging and dropping chips as if you were sat at a real table. A big advantage of these games is the social interaction. You can text chat with the dealers and other players while you enjoy a game.
Blackjack and online roulette for real money are the most popular games at live dealer online casinos. Casino poker variations including UTH and 3-Card Poker can be found in some rooms.
Keep in mind that the bets are a little bigger in live dealer casinos compared to the software versions. You will need to bet before a timer runs down. If you reach the river without responding in time, then you will automatically fold.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em and casino bonuses
There are many bonuses and free-play incentives at legal online casinos in the regulated states. You can take advantage of these by clearing them playing UTH or other table games. Typical bonus offers include small amounts of free play (no deposit needed), or a matched bonus based on your first deposit.
For table games, you need to check which games can be used for bonus clearance. A common way that casinos encourage players to clear bonuses on slots is to ‘weight’ the table games. This means that not all of the money you bet on UTH would be counted towards clearing the bonus. Weightings will vary between casinos. This means it can be worthwhile checking the terms and conditions of each bonus before you sign-up.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em FAQ
How big a casino bankroll should I have to play UTH?
You’ll be betting more units playing a hand of Ultimate Texas Hold’em compared to other casino poker variations. If you play the optional Trips side-bet, there are 3 units bet at the start of a hand. Betting pre-flop will then require 4 more units.
With 7 units per hand, you’ll need a bigger bankroll than the recommended 20 bets for most casino table games. 50 units ($250 at a $5 table) is enough to ride out the swings of this game. Balancing the requirement for a bigger bankroll, when the hands do go your way, you have the potential to win big.
Key to casino bankroll management is only betting money that you can afford to lose.
Is cheating at Ultimate Texas Hold’em possible?
No. The only way you could get an advantage in this game is by seeing the dealer’s hole-cards before they are revealed after the community cards were dealt. This would require marked cards or collusion with the dealer and would be fraudulent.
Player collusion will give you an idea of which of your outs are still in the deck (for example if you were drawing to a flush). This is against the rules in casinos and is not possible online. Knowing this information would only reduce the house edge not eliminate it.
With the single deck of cards shuffled between deals, card-counting is not possible.
Can I play UTG online?
Yes. You can legally enjoy Ultimate Texas Hold’em online in states which have legal/regulated mobile casinos. The current list is PA, NJ, MI and WV. With gambling regulation rapidly expanding, it is hoped that more states will join this list soon.
What are the pros and cons of online Ultimate Texas Hold’em and live games?
Online UTH games can be enjoyed for smaller stakes than the live equivalent. Software based games have stakes starting at under a dollar. You can enjoy these casinos on the move (via an Android or iPhone Casino app) or a desktop.
Live games include a much bigger social element. You can also find side bets with giant progressive jackpots at some live casinos.
How does UTH compare to Texas Hold’em poker
The original form of Texas Hold’em poker is a player-vs-player game. This is a game of skill and chance, with a big bluffing element. To win a pot you either show down the best hand or get your opponent to fold.
UTH is very different from the game invented from poker in Texas. It uses a similar format, but is a casino gambling game with a long-term edge in favor of the house. The shared element is that the best 5 card poker hands are made from your hole cards and the 5 community cards.
Wrapping up: Ultimate Texas Hold’em
UTH is a popular game at both live and online casinos. Strategy is relatively complex compared to other casino table games. This keeps things interesting for players. A big attraction in Ultimate Texas Hold’em is that you can win extra for making the best poker hands.
Keep in mind that you’ll bet up to 4 units extra to raise on many hands. This means a bigger starting bankroll (or smaller bets) is needed compared to other casino poker games.
-
Real blackjack online real money india
Best Online Blackjack in India Blackjack is a casino game that Indians have come to love. It is a game of skill and strategy. Before, only old players...
-
Play poker and blackjack online
Play Online Blackjack Take on the dealer with real money Blackjack, available in a range of different variants, including Single Player, Multi-Player and...
-
Texas holdem online single player
Top 10 Texas Hold em Tips Top 10 Texas Hold'em Tips Texas Hold'em takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master, the old saying goes. But with these...
-
Tropicana casino texas hold em bonus
Casino Table Games From the classic table games of Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, and Mini Baccarat, to our poker style games such as Caribbean Stud Poker,...
-
Ultimate texas hold em casino Ultimate Texas Hold em is a table game inspired by Texas Hold em poker. While Texas Hold em is played against other players...