Playing Ultimate Texas Hold'em Poker at Casino de Charlevoix

The object of the game

Try to obtain the best five-card poker hand using your two hole cards and the five community cards. Your hand must be of a higher ranking than the dealer’s hand.

Cards

Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker is played with a 52-card deck. In decreasing order, the value of the cards is Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. Aces may be used to for a Royal Flush or an Ace-2-3-4-5 Straight.

Bets

The maximum number of players at an Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker table is the number of betting positions.
Using chips purchased from the dealer, players must place identical ante (B) and blind (C) bets.
Bets must fall between the minimum and maximum amounts indicated at the table and be placed on the designated spots on the table before the first card is dealt. No ante or blind bets may be placed, changed or withdrawn thereafter.

Game procedures ans player options

Once the 5 face-down community cards have been dealt, the dealer deals 2 cards face down to each player, in turn, and two to himself.
Players can check or raise (D) by adding a bet that is either three (3) or four (4) times their ante.
Players are prohibited from showing or discussing their cards.
Once all players have made their choice, the dealer reveals the first 3 community cards.
Players that checked can check again or raise by adding a bet equal to twice their ante. Players that previously raised cannot bet again.
Once all players have made their choice, the dealer reveals the last 2 community cards.
Players that checked in the two preceding rounds may raise by adding a bet that is equal to their ante, failing which they are required to fold and thus lose both their ante and blind bets. Players that previously raised cannot bet again.
Once all players have made their choice and placed their hole cards face down on the table, the dealer reveals his two cards.
Players that have not already folded their hands, as well as the dealer, now make their best 5-card combination poker hand, using their 2 hole cards and the 5 community cards.
To qualify, the dealer’s 5-card hand must contain a pair or a combination that is of higher rank.
The dealer then turns over each player’s two cards and compares, if necessary, the rank of the hands of players that raised to the rank of his own hand.

Combinations

Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker combinations are as follows, in decreasing order of rank:

Royal flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of the same suit
Straight flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit
Four of a kind: Four cards of the same rank, independent of suit
Full house: Three of a kind and one pair
Flush: Five cards of the same suit
Straight: Five consecutive cards, regardless of suit
Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank
Double pair: Two pairs
Pair: Two cards of the same rank
High card: Highest ranked card

When the dealer’s 5-card hand and the player’s hand consist of identical combinations, the hand that contains the highest ranked card outside the combination is deemed the winner. However, if all of the cards outside the combination are equal in rank, the hands are deemed identical.

Payouts

When the dealer’s hand qualifies (a pair or better):
1. If the player’s hand is ranked higher than the dealer’s hand, the player’s ante (B) and raise (D) bets win and are paid even money, and his blind (C) wins and is paid, if the case should be, in accordance with the blind payout table; otherwise it is a push.
2. If the player’s hand is ranked lower than the dealer’s hand, the player loses his ante, raise and blind bets.
3. If the player’s hand is equal in rank to the dealer’s hand, the player’s ante, raise and blind bets are a push.
When the dealer’s hand does not qualify:
1. Players that raised collect their antes.
2. If the player’s hand is ranked higher than the dealer’s hand, the player’s raise wins and is paid even money. The player’s blind bet also wins and is paid in accordance with the blind bet payout table.
3. If the player’s hand is ranked lower than the dealer’s hand, the player’s raise and blind bets lose.
4. If the player’s hand is equal in rank to the dealer’s hand, the player’s raise and blind bets are a push.

Blind bet payout table

HAND	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

Three of a kind or more (trips) side bet payout table

If indicated at the table, players may choose to place an additional "Three of a Kind or More" (or Trips) side bet in addition to their ante and blind bets. The "Three of a Kind or More" side bet (A) must be placed in the designated spot before the first card is dealt. The "Three of a Kind or More" side bet wins when the hand of a player that places this bet is composed of a three of a kind or a higher ranked combination of cards, regardless of the dealer’s hand and even if the player has already folded. A winning "Three of a Kind or More" side bet is paid in accordance with the payout table below.

Three of a kind or more side bet payout table

HAND	PAYOUT
Royal flush	50:1
Straight flush	40:1
Four of a kind	20:1
Full house	7:1
Flush	6:1
Straight	5:1
Three of a kind	3:1

These rules take effect on December 15, 2011, and are administered in accordance with the By-law respecting casino games (R.S.Q., c. S-13.1, a. 13). The rules herein can be modified at any time by the Société des casinos du Québec inc.