Texas Hold’em Casino Table Games

Ultimate Texas Hold'em (UTH) table at JACK Casino in Cleveland, OhioUltimate Texas Hold'em (UTH) table

There are many types of poker games found in casino table game pits. Several are related to Texas hold’em. In casinos without a poker room, it is the only way to play the game. There are three common types of Texas hold’em table games.

The most popular is Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Heads Up Hold’em is the second most common type of this game. Texas Hold’em Bonus was the first version of this game to hit pits. It is still available in a few casinos in the US. Jackpot Hold’em is a variation that we found at one Las Vegas casino. 

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How these Texas hold’em casino games are similar

Each of these Texas hold’em pit games has similarities. All players receive two cards. The players are up against the dealer in all these Texas hold’em games. There is no concern about the hand strength of other players. The only goal is to beat the house hand.

The player and dealer use their best five cards out of the seven available. It may be any combination of the two hole cards and five community ones. The hand rankings are the same among all these games:

  • Royal flush
  • Straight flush
  • Four of a kind
  • Full house
  • Flush
  • Straight
  • Three of a kind
  • Two pair
  • Pair
  • High card

How these Texas hold’em casino games are different

Each Texas hold’em variant offers something different. Here are some examples of what sets each game apart from the others.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em

In Ultimate Texas Hold’em, the player starts by making an ante and blind bet that are equal. There is an optional Trips side bet.

Before the flop and after seeing the two dealt cards, an Ultimate Texas Hold’em player has the option of raising four times the ante or checking. After the three-card flop, the option is to raise double the ante or check. The next round shows the turn and river cards. The player then has the option of betting an amount equal to the ante or folding.

An Ultimate Texas Hold’em player may only raise once per hand. If the player makes a raise before or after the flop, their action ends. The cards are tucked under the chips at a casino and live dealer game. On a video version at a casino site, the software immediately shows the remaining cards and the dealer’s pocket hand.

The dealer must have at least a pair to qualify in Ultimate Texas Hold’em. This can include a pair on the board. If the dealer does not qualify, the ante pushes.

Heads Up Hold’em

Heads up Hold'em table game at the Strat in Las Vegas, Nevada

Heads Up Hold’em is close to Ultimate Texas Hold’em. The game has an additional side bet based on the player’s hole cards. Heads Up Hold’em only allows a triple raise preflop. To offset this, there is an automatic bad beat bonus if the player loses a straight or better. Unlike a live poker game, there is no requirement to play both hole cards. If the player loses a made hand on the board to the dealer, that still qualifies for the bad beat bonus.

Texas Hold’em Bonus

Texas Hold’em Bonus is a dying game. There is only one table of it left in Las Vegas. We found it at a few East Coast casinos. The DraftKings and FanDuel online casinos also deal Texas Hold’em Bonus.

Texas Hold’em Bonus is played a little differently than the two other games mentioned above. There is no blind, only an ante. The player may raise double the ante or fold preflop. There are raises after the flop and turn that are equal to the ante. The player must make all these raises to stay in the hand.

There is a Plus side bet that pays based on the player’s first two hole cards. Texas Hold’em Bonus does not have a dealer qualifier. All bets play, regardless of how poor the house hand is.

Jackpot Hold’em

Jackpot Hold’em plays like Heads Up Hold’em. The maximum raise preflop is three times in both games. However, at Jackpot Hold’em, the player gets to see one of the three cards in the flop before making this bet. There is no bad beat bonus in Jackpot Hold’em. We found this game at Sahara on the Las Vegas Strip.