Intro
Texas Hold’em Bonus is a table poker game, in which players face off individually against the Dealer. The game is very similar to how Ultimate Texas Hold’em is played, although Hold’em Bonus ironically has fewer bonus wagers than Ultimate Hold’em does.
How to Play Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker?
Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker is played using the standard Anglo-American 52-card Deck. The game can be played by 2-8 Players, with one of those Players always being the Dealer.
Seat Placement and Play Zones
Each Player takes an individual seat, with each seat having special play zones listed out in front of them.
These play zones are known as “Boxes” and are the primary game mechanic of Texas Hold’em Bonus. These are the Ante, Bonus, Flop, Turn, and River boxes.
Placing Wagers
Ante Box
Before cards are dealt, Players at the table must place a wager on the Ante box.
This wager must be equal to or higher than the table’s required minimum, and lower than the table’s maximum. Each table will have signage nearby indicating these minimums and maximums.
Bonus Box
Once Players have placed an appropriate Ante, but before cards have been dealt, Players have the option to place a wager on the Bonus Box.
This wager should also conform to the betting minimum and maximum, and is separate from the Ante. As such, Players can bet whatever they’d like on the Bonus, so long as it is within the min-max.
Dealing the Initial Cards
Once the Antes have been paid up, and Players choose whether or not to play on the Bonus, each Player will be dealt two face-down cards. Players may look at their own cards, but should not show them to other Players at the table.
Betting Options
After looking at their two “hole” or personal cards, Players then decide between two betting options: Fold or Bet.
Betting Players place a wager into their Flop box that is exactly 2x the value of their initial Ante wager. This will allow them to continue into the next phase of the game, and see the Flop, the first dealing of community cards.
Folding Players surrender the wagers made on their Ante and Bonus boxes. Players that fold also forfeit any right to winnings they might have received, even if their cards would have beaten the Dealer. Folded Players however do not have to keep wagering and may simply sit out until the next game starts.
The Flop
Once all Players have gone in order, taking turns deciding whether they will Play or Fold, the Flop will be dealt. Three cards are dealt face up in the center of the table, for all Players to see. Once these cards have been dealt, the Turn phase begins.
The Turn
In the Turn, Players take ordered turns following the same betting positions as the Flop, only Players will place their money into the Turn Box and must wager the exact value of the Ante if they wish to Play.
After this Turn phase, the Dealer will deal one more community card, next to the Flop, known as the Turn.
The River
Following the dealing of the Turn, Players once more take turns choosing their betting positions: This time for the River. The River phase is exactly the same as the Turn phase, with the exception Players must place their wagers into the Turn box.
Once this final bet has been made, the Dealer will turn over the final community card, known as the River. With all seven cards of a Player’s hand visible to them, Players attempt to form the best possible 5-card Poker hand for the Showdown.
The Showdown
In the Showdown, Players each take turns in the same order as the other phases, presenting their best five-card Poker hand to the Dealer. They compare their hand to the Dealer’s in order to determine victory or loss.
Players with a stronger meld than the Dealer are paid 1:1 for their wagers on the Flop, Turn, and River boxes. If a Player wins the hand with a straight or better, then they also are paid 1:1 for their Ante wager. Otherwise, they are not paid for the Ante, but do not lose it either. This is called a push.
Players that lose against the Dealer surrender all of their wagers except for the Bonus, as the Bonus pays out regardless of a Player’s victory against the Dealer. The conditions in order to be paid out for the Bonus, as well as a payout table for the Bonus can be found in the “Payouts and Odds” section below.
Ending and New Game
Once each Player has had their Showdown with the Dealer, and paid up or received payment where appropriate, the Dealer will collect every Player’s cards and shuffle the deck. Players put up a new Ante, and Bonus wager if they so choose, and new cards are dealt as a new game begins.
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Rules
In short, the Texas Hold’em Bonus rules are as follows:
- Players must place an Ante in order to receive cards, though the Bonus is an optional wager and is not required.
- Players must bet 2x the value of the Ante on the Flop box, and 1x the value of the Ante on the Turn and River boxes.
- Turn order is usually determined to be clockwise from the Dealer, with the Player to the immediate left of the Dealer taking the first turn.
- If a Player and the Dealer have the same meld, then the highest card in the hand will determine the tiebreaker. If the Dealer and Player have the same hand, and the same highest card, then there is a push and neither the Dealer nor the Player receive payment and all bets are returned to the Player.
Hold’em Bonus Payouts and Odds
While the Ante (When a Player has a straight or higher), Flop, Turn, and River boxes all pay on a 1:1 basis, the Bonus wager actually utilizes a different, special payout table. Players receive different payments based on the conditions of their hand.
Bonus Payouts
- The Bonus pays out based on the two hole cards Players are dealt at the start of the game, with particular configurations offering special payouts.
- Players receive payment for their Bonus even if they lose in the Showdown, so long as their starting hand meets the required conditions.
The table below demonstrates the payout for each special starting hand in Texas Hold’em Bonus:
| Starting Hand Configuration | Payout |
|---|---|
| Ace, Ace | 30x |
| Ace, King (Same Suit) | 25x |
| Ace, Queen/ Ace, Jack (Same Suit) | 20x |
| Ace, King (Diff. Suit) | 15x |
| King, King/Queen, Queen/Jack, Jack | 10x |
| Ace, Queen/ Ace, Jack (Diff. Suit) | 5x |
| Any Non-Royal Pair (2-10) | 3x |
There is additionally, in some Las Vegas casinos, a further Starting Hand Configuration. If the Player has a pair of Aces in their hand, and the Dealer also has a pair of Aces in their hand, then the Player will receive 1000x their initial Bonus wager.
Odds and House Edge Explained
The Bonus Wager is generally fairly terrible as far as bonuses go. The odds of receiving even a basic pair for 3x payout is only 4%.
The odds of failing to achieve any starting hand configuration, and instead losing your Bonus wager altogether is about 91%. This means you only have a 5% chance to receive a payout higher than 3x.
With an overall House Edge of 8.5%, the “Bonus” is not the worst one in a table game, but it is definitely not worth playing consistently.
Example Hand
Imagine the following is your hand, after betting $20 on the Ante, and $20 on the Bonus:
9♥ 9♣
This is a terrific start! You have already been guaranteed $60 dollars simply from the bonus, regardless of the Showdown’s outcome.
Since you can pay for your Flop and Turn bets for free with the profits from your Bonus, Bet in order to see the Flop:
10♥ 10♦ J♥
Another strong showing. The pair of 9s and 10s gives you a two-pair meld. Not very strong, but strong enough to beat any pair in the game.
With a decent meld already formed, and the chances for a Full-House as high as they can possibly be, bet in order to see the turn:
2♦
This was an unfortunate draw, but the game is not over yet. Although you have bet on all three phases, the Flop and Turn were free. Your odds of winning are decent, play through and see the River:
9♠
A Full House! A Meld that when compared to the Dealer’s hand in the showdown:
9♦ J♦
Beats the Dealer! The Dealer has two-pair, with 9s and Js, but your Full House is much stronger. Furthermore, this high meld qualifies the Player for payout on their Ante.
Strategy and Tips
Avoid the Bonus
The Bonus is actually quite disadvantageous for you. The House is going to win an average of 8.5% more money than you on the Bonus Wager.
As such, it’s far better for a Player to utilize the 1:1 payout on the Ante, Flop, Turn, and River boxes. Over the course of many games, the House will come out on top more times than you will if you play the Bonus every game.
Learn about Betting Strategy
Utilizing an optimal betting strategy is important in Table-Poker games. As Table games are games of averages, rather than single plays, it is important to take the strategy that results in the highest chance of winning.
Even if you lose one hand, do not let that discourage you. Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker is a game of statistics. Winning 80% of the time is always better than winning 60% of the time, even if there is a 20% chance of failure.
Playing 5 games with an 80% chance also does not guarantee 4 wins. It is simply important to always play where the odds are favorable in order to have the best chance of winning money in the aggregate even if you get unlucky during your individual games.
