Play 4 Card Poker Online – Best Sites, Rules & Strategy

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Jeremy Olson

Jeremy Olson Sports Editor

Jeremy Olson has been writing about online gambling since 2006. He started out covering online poker and eventually transitioned to casino games and sports betting.

All posts by Jeremy Olson

Sports Editor

and

Neil Roarty Senior iGaming Journalist

Neil is a gambling industry veteran with over 15 years experience as a content writer, editor and speaker at events. He has a Masters degree in English Literature and Philosophy and has combined this analytical inquisitiveness with a passion for sports betting and casino gaming. Neil started his career with Bettingpro.com and helped build not only that site but various others such as LiveTennis.com, LiveDarts.com and numerous other sports informational sites, including GG.co.uk and RacingTips.com He then made the transition to the North American market, working both in the UK and in New Jersey to launch various sports betting and casino sites, including AmericanBettingExperts and NewAmericanCasinos. Working with regulators, Neil has helped to review sports betting sites and also test the regulated betting apps in a professional capacity. He now works almost exclusively in the US market and is one of the main reviewers and fact checkers on SportsLens gambling content. He also speaks at various gambling conferences including ICE, iGB Live and SBC Americas and has contributed to GamblingInsider, EGR Magazine and a number of others in a consulting capacity.

All posts by Neil Roarty

Neil Roarty Fact Checker

Updated 02 Nov 2023

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Think of 4 card poker as an exciting casino game that essentially offers three games in one. You can compete against the dealer, play for side payouts (Aces Up), and chase a progressive jackpot. Similar to 3 card poker, this game is becoming more popular by the day.

You can join in the fun by learning more about the game on this page. Our guide covers 4 card poker rules, strategy, odds, and mobile play. You’ll also find out if any great 4 card poker real money sites are available.

The Best 4 Card Poker Sites to Play for Real Money

Unfortunately, 4 card poker online is rare and primarily available in land-based casinos. None of our favourite online casinos offers this game in 2024, making it hard to find four-card poker online. Luckily, the following casino sites have the three-card variation and other entertaining poker games.

1. Wild Casino – Great site for poker variety and frequent bonuses
2. Las Atlantis – One of the industry’s biggest bonuses (up to $14k) while playing poker
3. Bovada – Enjoy multiple poker variations and solid VIP rewards here
4. MyBookie – Has a mixture of variations, such as Ride’em Poker and Triple Edge Poker
5. Ignition – Double welcome bonus for the online casino and poker room
6. Lucky Block – A casino site with over 6,000 games
7. BetOnline – Offers a great mix of poker games, such as Caribbean Poker
8. Everygame – Offers lots of poker variations and some worthwhile promotions.
9. Slots.lv – Provides several poker variants in its selection on the site
10. BetUS – Features multiple poker variants and regular promos

Comparison of the Best Four Card Poker Sites

Again, 4 card poker real money sites aren’t widely available throughout the gaming industry. We wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending other casinos just because they have this game. Instead, we stand by our top online casinos because we know that they’re safe and secure.

Our team recommends sites that offer a broad range of poker games and excellent welcome bonuses. The following 10 casinos stand out regarding their game selection, bonuses, and betting limits.

How to Play 4 Card Poker Online

If you’ve played three card poker before, you’ll have an easier time adjusting to four card poker rules. In fact, even if you haven’t played the three card version, you can still quickly get the hang of it. The following steps provide an in-depth look at how to play four card poker:

1. Place the Ante Bet – You must place an ante wager to participate in a hand. You’ll win this bet if you beat the dealer.
2. Consider Aces Up and Jackpot Bets – The Aces Up side bet is always available in four card poker. Some tables also feature progressive jackpot bets (usually $1 to $5). Aces Up and Jackpot bets are dependent upon your hand strength and not beating the dealer.
3. Check Your Cards – You receive five cards, and the dealer receives six. Your cards are face-down, while the dealer has five face-down cards and one face-up.
4.  Raise or Fold – After looking at your cards, you can raise the ante 1x or 3x, or fold. Folding will forfeit your original ante.
5. Form a Four Card Poker Hand – Assuming you raise, you’ll form a hand using your best four cards and discarding the worst card.
6. Compare Hands – The dealer shows the cards and you compare hands. If you beat the dealer, you’ll win even money on your ante and raise. You’ll lose the ante and raise if the dealer wins.
7. Check for Bonus Payouts – You may win a bonus payout if you placed the Aces Up and/or Jackpot bets. Bonus 4 card poker payouts depend upon the given pay table.

Play Free 4 Card Poker Online

The best way to learn a new casino game is to practice for free. You get a demo balance and you can even try out different betting strategies. The free 4 card poker game is ideal for learning the basics and improving your playstyle before switching to real money betting.

You can also try out a variety of other casino games for free to see which you like most. If you ever run out of practice credits, simply refresh the page and you can start over.

Four Card Poker Hand Ranking & Pay Tables

Four card hand rankings are similar to those in other poker games. The key difference, though, is that the poker winning hands contain four cards. Here are the hand rankings:

1. Four-of-a-kind (e.g. K-K-K-K)
2. Straight flush (e.g. 6-7-8-9 all spades)
3. Three-of-a-kind (e.g. 8-8-8-J)
4. Flush (e.g. 3-5-10-Q all hearts)
5. Straight (e.g. 9-10-J-Q)
6. Two pair (e.g. 4-4-K-K)
7. One pair (e.g. J-J-4-6)
8. High card (e.g. 2-5-J-A)

Automatic bonus 4 card poker payouts are often available for ante bettors. The following pay table illustrates ante bonuses:

Ante Bonus Pay Table:

The Aces Up side bet bases four card poker payouts on hand strength. Here are common payouts for this side wager.

Aces Up Pay Table:

Finally, you can win additional payouts through the progressive jackpot bet. Common progressive 4 card poker jackpot prizes for a $1 side bet include.

Progressive Jackpot Pay Table:

What are the 4 Card Poker Odds?

The four card poker odds vary based on the bet type and your strategy. Here are different four card poker house edges:

• Ante Bet – 2.79% (optimal strategy)
• Overall 4 Card Poker House Edge – 1.30% (optimal strategy when considering the ante and raise)
• Aces Up – 3.89%
• Progressive Jackpot – Varies depending upon the size of the jackpot.

Many online resources solely refer to the 2.79% four card poker house edge. However, this figure only accounts for the ante bet odds alone. You can reduce the house advantage to 1.30% by making raises at optimal times.

The progressive jackpot starts out at a certain amount (e.g. $10,000) and rises with each jackpot bet. It features a high house edge at first and gradually offers better odds as the progressive prize grows.

Comparing the 4 Card Poker House Edge to other Poker Games

4 card poker offers one of the best chances to beat the house. Below, you can see how the Ante and overall house edges compare to other poker variations:

• 4 Card Poker – 1.30% (considers Ante and raise)
• Ultimate Texas Holdem – 2.19%
• Heads Up Holdem – 2.36%
• 4 Card Poker Ante Bet – 2.79%
• Red Dog – 2.80%
• Pai Gow Poker – 2.84%
• 3 Card Poker – 2.85%
• Let It Ride – 3.51%
• Caribbean Stud – 5.22%

The Best 4 Card Poker Strategy

Four card poker strategy is more complicated than the average table game. Therefore, we’ll provide three different strategy resources. The following guides are for beginning, intermediate, and advanced players.

You should consider the advanced or intermediate guide if you’re serious about four card poker real money play. Please note that optimal strategy isn’t available here. You might consider pursuing optimal strategy, but be forewarned that it’s extensive and not widely available.

Beginner Strategy – 3.40% House Edge (Ante Only)

• Raise 3x with a pair of 10s or better.
• Raise 1x with a pair of 2s through 9s.
• Fold anything else.

Intermediate Strategy – 2.853% House Edge (Ante Only)

• Raise 3x with a pair of aces or better.
• Raise 3x with a pair of jacks or queens when the dealer’s upcard is lower than your pair or matches one of your cards. Raise 1x in all other situations with jacks or queens.
• Bet 1x with a pair of 9s or 10s if the dealer’s upcard is higher than your pair. Raise 3x in all other scenarios with 9s or 10s.
• Raise 3x with a pair of 8s if the dealer’s upcard is a 2. Raise 1x in other situations with 8s.
• Bet 1x with a pair of 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, or 7s.
• Raise 1x with a pair of 2s or A-K-Q if the dealer’s updard matches one of your card ranks. Fold in all other scenarios with 2s or A-K-Q.
• Fold everything else.

Advanced Strategy – 2.85% House Edge (Ante Only)

• Raise 3x with a pair or aces or higher.
• Raise 3x with a pair or kings. However, you should only bet 1x if the dealer’s upcard is an ace.
• Bet 3x with a pair of jacks or queens. But you should only raise 1x if the dealer’s upcard outranks your pair and doesn’t match any of your other cards.
• Raise 3x with a pair of 9s or 10s. Bet 1x if the dealer’s upcard is higher than your pair.
• Bet 1x with a pair of 8s. However, you should only raise 3x if the dealer’s card is 2.
• Raise 1x with a pair of 4s, 5s, 6s, or 7s.
• Raise 1x with a pair of 3s. But you should fold this hand if the dealer’s upcard is jack and your kicker is 10 or worse.
• Fold a pair of 2s or A-K-Q. You should raise 1x, however, if the dealer’s upcard matches one of your cards.
• Fold A-K-J-10. You want to bet 1x, though, if the dealer is showing a jack.
• You should fold anything else.

Top 5 Tips on How to Win at Four Card Poker

You can boost your four card poker real money winnings with the right approach. The following tips are quite helpful on top of the strategy covered above.

1. Play Free 4 Card Poker in the Beginning

Online 4 card poker real money games offer the most excitement. However, you should consider playing for free to learn the rules and practice strategy. The four card poker online game lets you play free hands after completing registration.

2. Always Refer to a Four Card Poker Strategy Guide

Whether playing four card poker real money or free games, you should always have a strategy guide handy. You don’t have to worry about dealers or players being pushy when playing online. Instead, you can take lots of time to look at a strategy resource, including the three resources on this page.

3. Move to Intermediate and Advanced Strategy

Beginner 4 card strategy is fine in the early going, but it only reduces the house edge to 3.40%. You should eventually graduate to intermediate and advanced strategy, which lead to 2.853% and 2.85% house edges, respectively. Either version works because there’s not a stark difference between the results.

4. Be Careful with Side Bets

Aces Up and progressive jackpot side wagers spice up the game, but neither offer a great chance to win. Aces Up features a 3.89% house edge, which, although not terrible, doesn’t provide the best odds. The progressive wager can carry over a 30% house advantage when the jackpot is small. You might consider making either of these side bets sparingly due to their poor odds.

5. Look for 4 Card Poker Bonuses

You can often pick up casino bonuses at 4 card poker real money sites. For example, you might qualify for a 100% match deposit bonus on your first deposit. We suggest always reading the terms and conditions, though, to ensure that four card poker is part of a bonus. Online casinos often exclude one or more table games (e.g. baccarat) from promotions.

Playing Four Card Poker on Mobile

Any 4 card poker online casino will likely be compatible with Android and iOS mobile devices. In this case, you might be able to enjoy the game through an iPhone, iPad, or Android. However, most offshore US-friendly casinos we recommend don’t offer Android and iOS apps. In absence of a 4 card poker app, you should still be able to use mobile instant play.

Browser-based play lets you enjoy the game through a web browser on your mobile device. You may actually prefer this option because you won’t have to download an app. It is quick and easy at any time you feel like playing.

More on Poker…

Four card poker is just one of many poker variations available. You can check out our other poker pages to find additional exciting games:

• Video poker casinos – Enjoy classic video poker games, such as Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker.
• Deuces Wild video poker – Deuces Wild is one of the top-paying video poker variations.

Best 4 Card Poker Site in the US

Although none of our top casino picks offer four card poker, they do provide many other games. Through our experiences, BetOnline features the best overall poker selection and gaming experience. You can enjoy 6 Up Pocket Poker, Big Rollover Poker Holdem, Bonus Texas Holdem, Caribbean Draw,Caribbean Poker, Let It Ride, and many more.

BetOnline also has one of the best poker sites in the US, allowing players to enjoy Texas Hold’em and Omaha cash games and tournaments. It offers some of the industry’s best bonuses, including a casino welcome package of up to $3,000 and a 100% poker bonus. Enjoy the top gaming platform on desktop and on mobile devices today.

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