Introduction
Chase the Flush is a casino table-comparing game developed by AGS. The rules are inspired by the Poker family of games. However, as a table game, players use the poker hand hierarchy to compete against a Dealer.
As the name suggests, players are attempting to have a higher ranking flush than the Dealer.
How to Play Chase the Flush?
Chase the Flush is played using a single copy of the standard Anglo-American 52-card Deck. Between 2-8 Players can participate in this game.
Ante and Bonus Wagers
- Players must first make their Ante wager. This Ante must conform to posted minimum and maximum betting limits.
- In conjunction with the Ante, players are obligated to make an equal bet on the X-Tra Bonus.
- If Players so wish, there is an optional side wager called the Same Suit Bonus.
- Players must participate in the X-Tra Bonus, but may or may not put money on the Same Suit Bonus.
- The Same Suit wager does not need to be equal to the Ante, but the X-Tra must be equal to the Ante.
Initial Deal
After each Player has made their chosen wagers, the Deal begins.
- The Dealer shall give each Player three face-up hole cards.
- The Dealer will deal to themselves three face-down hole cards.
After inspecting their hand, players are given two options in the first betting round:
First Betting Round
- Players may check, which simply skips the betting phase without making a wager.
- Alternatively, players may make a wager 3x the size of their Ante on the “All In” betting box.
After Players have checked or made their bets, the Dealer will place two face-up community cards into the center of the Table. Players will combine their three-card hands with these community cards in order to form their Flushes.
Second Betting Round
After the first two community cards are dealt, a second betting phase begins.
Players that have not already made a 3x bet on the All-In are permitted to make a wager at this point, however, it must be a 2x wager.
The 3x All-In is only permitted during the first betting phase. Otherwise, players may Check once more.
Third Betting Round
The previous phase is repeated almost verbatim.
The Dealer will deal two more community cards, and Players are given their options again. However, there are two changes.
- Players are no longer allowed to check, they must fold instead.
- Players may only make a 1x Ante Wager on the All-In.
Players that fold are not required to make an All-In Bet but surrender their Ante and X-Tra bets. The Same Suit Bonus might still pay out if a Player folds.
Once each Player has folded or made one All-In wager, the Showdown begins.
If every player wagered in an earlier round, the subsequent betting phases are skipped, with all of the community cards dealt and the Dealer’s cards revealed.
Showdown
Players and the Dealer use their three hole cards, and the four community cards, in order to form the longest possible flush of the highest rank. A Flush must contain at least two cards in order to be considered.
Dealer Qualification
The Dealer must qualify by possessing a three-card Flush containing a card ranked 9 or higher. If the Dealer does not have a Flush of at least this quality, then the Ante is automatically pushed.
The All-In and X-Tra wagers are still calculated normally even in the event that the Dealer does not qualify.
Comparing Hands
Flushes are compared according to card length first, and then card rank if a tie occurs between lengths.
For example, four-card Flushes beat all three-card Flushes, but a four-card Flush with a 10 high-card beats a four-card Flush with a 7 high-card.
Full Ties between length and quality will push the Ante, All In, and X-Tra wagers. Otherwise, players receive a payout if they have higher ranking flushes, and lose their wagers if the Dealer’s is higher.
The Same Suit side bet pays out regardless of the Showdown’s outcome, or whether the Player folded.
Rules
- A Flush must have at least 2 cards to be considered a Flush. If the Dealer does not qualify, but still has a 2-card Flush, their hand may still be compared to other hands for the All-In and X-Tra wagers.
- The Player must win the Showdown in order to be paid out for the X-Tra Bonus, but not the Same Suit bonus.
- The number of cards in the Flush determines the primary quality of the Flush.
- The High-Card of the Flush determines the secondary quality of the Flush if the Primary qualities tie.
Chase the Flush Payouts and Odds
There are two payout tables for this game.
X-Tra Bonus
The X-Tra Bonus is the obligatory bonus bet. Players are required to participate in this bonus.
The X-Tra pays out based on the number of cards in the Player’s winning flush.
| Number of Cards in Flush | Payout |
|---|---|
| 7 cards | 250x |
| 6 cards | 50x |
| 5 cards | 5x |
| 4 cards | 1x |
- Any lower-quality Flush will simply push the X-Tra wager on a winning hand.
- The X-Tra will always push in the case of a tie.
- It is lost if the Player folds or loses the Showdown.
Same Suit Bonus
The other paytable is the optional bonus, the Same Suit Bonus.
The Same Suit bonus pays out according to the length of the Flush, as well as forming Straight-Flushes. The table is given below:
| Quality of Flush | Payout |
|---|---|
| 7-card Straight Flush | 2000x |
| 6-card Straight Flush | 2000x |
| 7-card Flush | 300x |
| 5-card Straight Flush | 100x |
| 6-card Flush | 50x |
| 4-card Straight Flush | 20x |
| 5-card Flush | 10x |
| 4-card Flush | 1x |
As you can see, even though the High Card Flush payouts are a bit different, the hand rankings are very similar to Chase the Flush.
Example Hand
Suppose that the following are the total number of community cards:
10♠ 9♣ 7♠ Q♠
And suppose that the following are your hole-cards:
J♥ 7♥ 9♠
This is a fairly strong position to be in. A four-card flush with a Queen is a high-ranking flush.
- Also, since you control a Spade, and there are 3 Spades in the community cards, it becomes less likely for the Dealer to have a Spade.
- Further, since you can see other Player’s hands, you can further calculate the odds of the Dealer having a Spade card.
If you haven’t bet already, certainly bet now and continue to the Showdown.
Strategy and Tips
The image below shows the optimal strategy for Chase the Flush according to the game developer AGS.
Do not be fooled by the Same-Suit Bonus’s extremely high jackpot payout
The bonus has a House Edge of 5.6%. Although this is not abysmal as far as Table-Game bonuses go, nearly 6% is a high margin of loss.
One must remember that this 5.6% is compounded by the 1% edge of the base game. By participating, you are taking an even game and putting it in the House’s favor. You’re sabotaging yourself!
Try to play as often as possible
You have the majority of the cards in Play in your eyesight. Like in Blackjack, it is possible for Players to accurately predict the composition of the Dealer’s hand, according to the table’s present layout.
Use that fact to your advantage as often as possible. Even if the Dealer does not qualify, you can still receive a payout on your X-Tra.
