Revised Rules and Strategy Guide

Introduction

Ultimate Texas Hold’em® is a casino game based on poker, where players have the option to make one raise at any point during the hand. The earlier the raise is made, the higher it can be. Notably, unlike other poker-based games, raises made after the ante still have action, even if the dealer doesn’t open. This innovative game was created by Roger Snow of Shuffle Master. Additionally, a similar base game is distributed by Galaxy Gaming under the name Heads Up Hold ‘Em.

Please note that ULTIMATE TEXAS HOLD ’EM® is a registered trademark of Bally Gaming, Inc., and is used with permission on this website.

 

Top Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em – Rules and Strategy Chart Online Casinos

 

Collusion

Knowledge of other player cards can reduce the house edge, if the information is used properly. For an in-depth analysis of this topic, please see my page on Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em Collusion.

 

Rules

Here are the standard rules for Ultimate Texas Hold’em as commonly played in the United States. Please note that I’m addressing the standard rules, not the variant played in Auckland, New Zealand:

• The game utilizes a single ordinary 52-card deck.
• Players are required to place equal bets on both the Ante and Blind, with the option to also place an optional Trips bet.
• Two cards are dealt face down to both the player and the dealer. The player is allowed to view their own cards.
• Players have the option to either check or make a Play bet, which can be three or four times the Ante.
• Three community cards are revealed by the dealer.
• If the player previously checked, they may make a Play bet equal to two times their Ante. Once a Play bet has been made, no further bets can be placed.
• Two additional community cards are revealed by the dealer.
• If the player checked twice previously, they must either make a Play bet equal to their Ante or fold, resulting in the loss of both their Ante and Blind bets. No further bets can be made if the player has already raised.
• Both the player and the dealer strive to create the best possible hand using any combination of their two cards and the five community cards.
• The dealer must have at least a pair to open.
• The scoring for the Blind, Ante, and Play bets is determined by the outcome of the hand and whether the dealer opens.

 

Winning Ante and Play bets pay 1 to 1. Winning Blind bets pay according to the following pay table

 

 

Analysis

Each hand in Ultimate Texas Hold’em has 52 potential outcomes. The table provided below illustrates the probability of each outcome and its contribution to the total return, assuming optimal strategy. In this context, a 4X raise is termed a “large raise,” a 2X raise as “medium,” and a 1X raise as “small.”

 

Wizard Strategy

The following is my “Wizard Strategy” for Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em®.

Large Raise: The following table shows when to make the 4X raise.

 

 

Internal Links

 

• Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em® game. Play for free with an advice feature to catch your mistakes.
• Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em® calculator. Put in any cards to determine the best play.
• Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em® appendix 1. Details on the odds before the flop.
• Heads Up Hold ‘Em. Similar game, offering bad beat bonuses, but 3x raise only after two cards.

External Links

• Wikipedia — Entry on Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.
• Discountgambling.net has an outstanding analysis of this game, including what I call his “nut kicker” strategy for the second and third decision points.
• Shufflemaster’s Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em® page.
• Demo game — Play this licensed demo game at our sister site Latest Casino Bonuses.