Joe has been writing full-time about online poker and other forms of gambling since 2016. He has written hundreds of reviews, How-To guides, strategy tips and more, about sports betting, casino gaming, and poker. In his own time Joe is a keen sports bettor, with a particular focus on football, the NBA, and the NFL. He also enjoys playing poker, with Texas Hold'em being his variant of choice.
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Vlad is a gambling expert with more than a decade of experience in the industry. He specializes in iGaming and online poker, having played his fair share of cash games and tournaments over the years, while also reviewing countless events in the pro poker circuit. Vlad has provided expert guides for known publications, such as Casino.org and Covers, and can be found grinding at the best poker sites every now and then.
All posts by Vlad GrinduUltimate Texas Hold’em has been entertaining players since the early 2000s. It’s the casino version of Texas hold’em, a player-vs-player game that has attracted over 100 million players worldwide.
How close does Ultimate Hold’em compare to the PvP version? You can find out in the following guide, which covers where to play, rules, strategy, bonuses, and more. As you’ll find out, the bonuses are what truly separate this game from standard Texas hold’em.
The Best Ultimate Texas Hold’em Sites to Play for Real Money
Online poker variations are among the most-popular games at gambling sites. Ultimate Texas Hold’em is no different because it’s available at some online casinos. WildCasino and BetOnline are two elite casinos that offer Ultimate Hold’em (listed as “Texas Hold’em Poker Bonus”). The other listed top online casinos don’t offer Ultimate Hold’em, but they provide other fun poker games.
- WildCasino – The best online casino for Ultimate Texas Hold’em, bar none.
- Las Atlantis – Features a huge signup bonus (up to $14k) and several fun poker variations.
- Bovada – Offers many poker games, such as Caribbean stud, Let ‘Em Ride, and tri-card poker.
- MyBookie – A well-designed online casino with Caribbean poker, Oasis Poker, and Ride’em Poker.
- Ignition – Has a mixture of quality poker games that’s comparable to Bovada Casino.
- Everygame– This gaming site also boasts plenty of entertaining poker games.
- Lucky Block– Fastest payouts with most options being under 1 hour.
- BetOnline – Has multiple variations of poker and free play
- Slots.lv – Has an extensive poker selection, including Caribbean stud, Let ‘Em Ride, and Pai Gow.
- BetUS – Large welcome bonus and regular promotions
Comparison of the Best Ultimate Texas Hold’em Sites
Plenty of gaming sites offer Ultimate Texas Hold’em online. These casinos differ in several categories, though, including game availability, free play availability, and welcome bonuses. The following table shows how our top 10 sites stack up in each important category.
Casino Ultimate Texas Holdem Free Ultimate Texas Holdem Live Ultimate Holdem 3 Card Poker Max Bet Limit Casino Welcome Bonus WildCasino ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ $1,000 Up to $5,000 Las Atlantis ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ $1,000 Up to $14,000 Bovada ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ $1,000 Up to $3,000 MyBookie ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ $1,000 150% up to $750 Ignition ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ $1,000 Up to $3,000 Every game ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ $1,000 Up to $5,555 Lucky Block ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ $3,500 200% Bonus up to 10,000 EUR + 50 Free Spins BetOnline ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ $1,000 100% up to $3,000 Slots.lv ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ $1,000 Up to $7,500 BetUS ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ $1,000 150% up to $3,000 How to Play Ultimate Texas Hold’em Online
If you’ve played Texas Hold’em before, you’ll have an easier time learning to play Ultimate Texas Hold’em. This game has a common poker format that includes multiple betting rounds. The goal is to beat the dealer and hopefully win a side payout in the process. The following steps provide more insight into Ultimate Texas Hold’em rules and playing hands:
- This game uses a standard 52-card deck.
- You start a round by placing an equal bet in the Ante and Blind spaces. You’ll also have the option of making the Trips side bet.
- You and the dealer receive two face-down cards (your two cards are automatically face-up online).
- You can either check or place a Play bet (3x-4x Ante).
- The croupier deals three community cards.
- If you made the Play bet, you cannot wager again. Assuming you checked, you’ll be able to make the Play wager (2x Ante).
- The dealer turns over the last two community cards.
- You can’t bet again if you’ve already placed the Play bet. Assuming you checked up until this point, you can make a Play bet (1x Ante) or fold. The latter results in losing the Blind and Ante bets.
- You and the dealer form the best-possible five-card hand using your two cards and the community cards.
- The dealer must have at least a pair to “open.”
- Ante, Blind, and Play bet results depend upon occurrences in the table below.
Winner Does Dealer Open? Ante Blind Play You Yes Winner Winner Winner You No Winner Push Winner Dealer Yes Lose Lose Lose Dealer No Lose Push Lose Tie Push Push Push Push The Blind and Trips bets offer bonus Ultimate Texas Hold’em payouts under the right circumstances. Common Ultimate Texas Hold’em pay tables for these wagers include the following:
Blind Bet Pay Table Royal flush 500:1 Straight flush 50:1 Four-of-a-kind 10:1 Full house 3:1 Flush 3:2 Straight 1:1 Anything else Push Trips Bet Pay Table Royal flush 50:1 Straight flush 40:1 Four-of-a-kind 30:1 Full house 8:1 Flush 7:1 Straight 4:1 Anything else Loss Play Free Ultimate Texas Hold’em Online
Ultimate Texas Hold’em online real money play is exciting, but you might want to consider the free version first. Ultimate Texas Hold’em free provides the following advantages:
- Great way to learn the rules.
- Free entertainment.
- Perfect your strategy without risk.
- Test out an online casino.
All in all, the Ultimate Texas Hold’em online free version lets you perfect your game in a pressure-free environment. You don’t have to worry about making mistakes that lead to losses. Instead, you can play loose, gradually master Ultimate Texas Hold’em basic strategy, and have fun in the process.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em Hand Ranking
Online Ultimate Texas Hold’em features standard poker hand rankings. A royal flush is the top card and delivers the highest payouts for Blind and Trips bets. Meanwhile, a straight is the lowest-qualifying hand for a bonus Ultimate Texas Hold’em payout. Here’s a recap of the Blind bet pay table (see “How to Play” section) to explain:
- Royal flush – 500:1 payout
- Straight flush – 50:1
- Four-of-a-kind – 10:1
- Full house – 3:1
- Flush – 3:2
- Straight – 1:1
- All other hands – Push
As for Ante bets, you simply have to beat the dealer to win. You don’t need qualifying hands to do so. A king-high versus the dealer’s queen-high is just as good as a straight flush in this case. The hand rankings are, instead, useful for any bet featuring an Ultimate Texas Hold’em payout table
What are the Ultimate Texas Hold’em Odds?
The Ultimate Texas Hold’em odds are quite favorable compared to many other table games. You can look forward to an Ultimate Texas Hold’em house edge of 2.19% with sound strategy. The latter part is key because you must exercise good strategy to lower the house advantage.
That said, we recommend getting some good Ultimate Texas Hold’em practice in before depositing. Once you feel comfortable with the game, you might consider graduating to Ultimate Texas Hold’em online real money play.
Comparing the Ultimate Texas Hold’em House Edge to Other Poker Games
The Ultimate Texas Hold’em house edge stacks up well against other casino poker games. As seen below, it actually leads the common poker variations regarding odds:
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em – 2.19%
- Heads Up Hold’em – 2.36%
- Red Dog – 2.80%
- Pai Gow poker – 2.84%
- Three-card poker – 2.85%
- Let It Ride – 3.51%
- Caribbean stud – 5.22%
When looking to win, you can’t find a better casino poker option than Ultimate Hold’em. Everything from Caribbean stud to 3 card poker vs Ultimate Texas Hold’em goes in the latter’s favor. Therefore, you might consider playing Ultimate Texas Hold’em online for real money above other poker variants.
The Best Ultimate Texas Hold’em Strategy
Strategy is the key to achieving great Ultimate Texas Hold’em odds. After all, you can’t expect to win much money if you’re a poor player. The most important Ultimate Texas Hold’em strategy aspect is knowing when to raise or check/fold. You can use the following basic Ultimate Texas Hold’em strategy to get off to a hot start.
Preflop
- Raise (4x Ante) with any ace, or pair of 2s or better.
- Raise with K-5 or higher.
- Only raise with K2 through K4 with a suited hand.
- Raise with Q8 or better.
- Only raise with Q6 or Q7 when they’re suited.
- Raise with JT or higher.
- Only raise with J8 or J9 with a suited hand.
- Check with anything else.
Flop
- Raise (2x Ante) with a pair of 2s or better.
- Raise with a flush draw where the top card is at least 10.
- Check with anything else.
Turn and River
- Raise with a pair of 2s or better.
Top 5 Tips on How to Winning at Ultimate Holdem
You can combine above Ultimate Hold’em strategy with general tips for an even stronger chance at winning. These five tips will boost your Ultimate Texas Hold’em online real money winnings over time.
1. Learn the Strategy Inside and Out
Ultimate Hold’em strategy is more involved than with the average table game. You must master different decisions on each street. The reward is worth the effort, though, because you can drop the house edge to 2.19%. Therefore, you should definitely spend the time to learn basic strategy. You can either use our guide or find an Ultimate Texas Hold’em strategy chart.
2. Play Ultimate Texas Hold’em for Free
You may feel fired up and want to immediately play Ultimate Texas Hold’em online for money. But a better approach involves playing the free version first. Ultimate Texas Hold’em free lets you work out kinks in your strategy with no risk. The good news is that most online casinos with Ultimate Hold’em let you play for free.
3. Manage Your Bankroll
This game requires plenty of bets to play. Therefore, you should adopt a bankroll management strategy to conserve money and extend your entertainment. We recommend starting out with the smallest online bets ($1) in the beginning. You might decide to increase your wagers if everything is going well. Again, though, we suggest sticking with the table minimum to start.
4. You Can’t Force the Dealer to Fold
Aggressive play can force a Texas Hold’em opponent to fold. The same isn’t true of Ultimate Hold’em, though, because the dealer never folds. A 4x raise preflop is only worthwhile with good cards—not because it could force the dealer out. That said, you should stick with conventional strategy and only raise with strong hands.
5. Take Advantage of Ultimate Hold’em Bonuses
You might as well go for casino bonuses if you’re going to play Ultimate Texas Hold’em online for money. Many online casinos offer a welcome bonus along with other promotions. You can use these deals to earn extra money on the side while playing. With some gaming sites offering $1,000+ bonuses, there’s plenty of additional money to be made.
Playing Ultimate Hold’em on Mobile
Ultimate Texas Hold’em casinos like BetOnline and WildCasino are fully compatible with mobile devices. If you own an Android or iOS device, you’ll be able to enjoy Ultimate Hold’em on the go. You just need to visit the respective casino through an Android, iPhone, or iPad to get started.
This game plays well on a smartphone or tablet. The Ultimate versions we played offered large betting options and tables. That said, we didn’t need to strain to see when playing Ultimate Texas Hold’em online real money games.
More on Poker…
Ultimate Texas Hold’em isn’t the only entertaining poker variation. Check out our other poker pages for even more variety.
- Best poker sites – Showcases the best sites for playing Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and other PvP poker games.
- Video poker casinos – Enjoy classic video poker games at online casinos.
- Deuces Wild video poker – Deuces Wild offers some of the best odds in video poker.
Best Ultimate Texas Hold’em Site in the US
Wild Casino is our top pick for the best online casino Ultimate Texas Hold’em site. It features an interesting Ultimate Hold’em variation called Texas Hold’em Poker Bonus. The latter has a modified pay table but all the same aspects that make Ultimate Texas Hold’em a classic.
Beyond the poker action, Wild Casino offers up to a $5,000 welcome bonus and other lucrative promotions. It provides the chance to pick up thousands of dollars in bonuses while playing Ultimate Hold’em.
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