Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker is a popular poker table game available at online casinos in Australia. After the Poker Boom of the early 2000s, casinos looked for a way to cash in on the Texas Hold’em craze. This game is one of the most common online casino games you’ll find tailored especially for poker fans.
If you already know how to play Texas Hold’em, you know the gist of how to play. Fortunately, this game is much easier to master than the poker room counterpart. Today, you’ll learn the basic rules of how to play Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker and how much you can win at the game.
How to Play Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
If you’re familiar with how to play Texas Hold’em, then you know the basic rules of the game. However, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker is an online casino table game, meaning you are playing against the dealer. Also, you can only make single fixed bets. There are no raises and the dealer never folds.
Before receiving cards, you must ante. You can bet between .10 and $1,000. Also, you can place Bonus Bet side bet that’s based on the hole cards dealt to you. This bet is a minimum of $1 with a max of $500. There is also a $1 Progressive Jackpot side bet you can make. This bet pays based on the poker hand made by your two hole card and the flop.
Once your ante and any optional side bets are placed, you will get your hole cards. This is where you’ll make your first decision. You can choose to bet or fold. If you bet, you’ll place a bet equal to double your ante. If you bet .50 for the ante, the flop bet is $1. When you fold, the hand ends immediately.
The good thing about this game is that once you make the flop bet, you don’t have to bet the turn or river to get to showdown. After you make your flop bet, the flop is dealt. You’ll now decide whether to bet or check. If you bet, you’ll place a bet equal to the ante. Checking allows you to see the turn card for free. Once a decision is made, the turn will be dealt. You’ll make one final decision whether to bet for a river card or check. The river bet is equal to your ante.
Once the river decision is made, the river card is dealt. Afterward, the dealer’s hand is shown and hands are compared. When you hand is high than the dealer’s hand, you win. Should both hands tie, all bets push.
How Much Can I Win?
For the base game, payouts are simple. When you have a winning hand, the ante bet pushes and all other bets pay 1 to 1. If you .50 on the ante and place all other bets, you will $1 on the flop bet and .50 each on the turn and river bets.
We know, that doesn’t sound terribly exciting. The truth is that most players enjoy this game due to the potentially lucrative side bets. While we don’t advocate side bets, many players enjoy them.
The first of two side bets available is the Texas Bonus. This pays based on your hole cards. Here’s the paytable for the Texas Bonus side bet:
- AA for Dealer and Player – 1,000:1
- Aces – 30:1
- A-K Suited – 25:1
- A-Q or A-J Suited – 20:1
- A-K Offsuit – 15:1
- Kings, Queens, or Jacks – 10:1
- A-Q or A-J Offsuit – 5:1
- Deuces Through Tens – 3:1
The tougher of the two side bets to hit is the Jackpot side bet. To win the bet, you have to make a hand with your hole cards and the flop. It tough to hit since you have to have a set or better to win. Here’s the paytable for the bet:
- Royal Flush – Progressive Jackpot
- Straight Flush – $2,500
- Four of a Kind – $250
- Full House – $100
- Flush – $25
- Straight – $10
- Three of a Kind – $5
For the average player, the Jackpot bet is a sucker bet with an insane house edge. The Texas Bonus bet has an edge of 8.5 percent. While not that great, it is the better bet of the two.
You’ll find Texas Hold’em Bonus poker at Australian online casinos such as Mucho Vegas Casino, Red Stag Casino, and Joka Room. For poker lovers, this is a great game that’s as close as you’re going to get to playing authentic Texas Hold’em poker.