The house edge is very low with faultless play, about 1.04 percent. It can be challenging to decide when to hold your original hand and when to switch hands.
According to computer simulations by Michael Shackleford, players should exchange a single card with a four for a straight flush, royal flush, or open-ended straight with no pairs, even if doing so means forfeiting a pair.
Additionally, depending on the strength of the pair and the dealer’s up card, the player should occasionally switch a card with four to a flush and a low pair as well as four to an inside straight without a pair.
Players shouldn’t try to improve to a bigger hand by switching with two pairs or three of a kind. Even if the option is present, never switch more than one card.
The approach is thus the same as in Caribbean Stud Poker. Players should always fold with anything less than ace/king high and raise with a pair or better. Your choices won’t significantly affect your total win rate when you have ace/king high.
To raise, however, you should either have a card that matches the dealer’s up card or have cards that are primarily higher than the dealer’s up card.
The progressive side bet is typically a loser, but it might be profitable if the jackpot value rises to a sufficient level, which on most pay charts is between $200,000 and $250,000. The value of the progressive side bet for the player, however, is significantly increased if a casino permits you to switch cards and still win the progressive side bet!
Standard Rules and Play (Net Ent)
The player and dealer are each assigned a 5-card poker hand after placing a wager. Of the dealer’s five cards, only one is visible. The player now has the option of throwing away one or more of his cards. The player is assessed a fee equal to the amount of the ante bet for each discard. Play is exactly like Caribbean Stud Poker after making a discard pick and receiving new cards. The player must decide whether to increase the bet or fold and lose the hand. The raise bet must be 2x the ante bet size, making the final wager 3x the size of the ante bet. Multiple payments are possible if the player raises.
● The dealer “qualifies” if he or she holds an Ace and a King or better (for instance, A,K,7,6,5). Whether the player wins or loses the hand, the ante bet profits are paid, and the raise bet is forfeited if the dealer does not qualify.
● The player forfeits their entire bet if they lose the hand and the dealer qualifies.
● The player wins the ante bet and the raise bet pays out in accordance with a predetermined paytable if the player wins the hand and the dealer qualifies. The paytable that Net Entertainment uses is shown below.
Play Structure
The dealer will deal themself and the player each 5 cards after the player pays an initial “Ante” stake. Except for one card, all of the dealer’s cards are dealt face down; they are known as “Hole” cards. The player must then decide whether to “Call” or fold their hand, forfeiting their Ante bet and up to five cards. For each card the player chooses to exchange, they will be charged a fee equal to the Ante wager. This charge is not a bet and will not be reimbursed no matter how the hand turns out. The player must pay a bet twice the sum of the Ante wager if they want to Call, either before or after discarding cards. The dealer’s hole cards are then shown, and the hands are then compared.
Relevant Rules and Procedures
● The ante is a wager made by the player.
● The player and dealer are each dealt five cards; the player can see all of them, whilst the dealer can only view one of his or her cards.
● The player can choose how many of his own cards to discard in order to draw fresh ones. Depending on how many cards are rejected, the price varies.
● The player has the option to raise or fold after the discard (or standing pat). The ante bet and the cards are forfeited when you fold.
● If the player raises, a new wager known as the raise is placed. It is always worth exactly two times the ante amount.
● The dealer’s cards are revealed to determine whether he meets the requirements with at least ace-king high.