By Jeff Hwang
The two most basic elements of betting structure are betting scalability and payoff scalability. These two elements are closely intertwined, and are as fundamental to profiling a casino poker variant as VPIP/PFR stats (essentially the percentage of hands a player plays, and how often a player enters the pot with a raise before the flop in hold’em or Omaha) are to profiling a poker player.
Betting Scalability
Betting scalability refers to how flexible player bet-sizing is in a given betting structure. There are three basic categories of betting scalability:
1. Fixed
2. Variable
3. Semi-variable
A fixed betting structure is a flat betting structure with a single – fixed – bet size on the play/raise/bet wager. In Three Card Poker, for example, the player places an ante wager and receives three down cards; the player can bet 1x the ante or fold. In Caribbean Stud, the player gets five down cards and can bet 2x the ante or fold. The player can bet 1x – and only 1x – in Three Card Poker, and only 2x in Caribbean Stud.
In a variable betting structure, the player can bet within a range of bet sizes. In Four Card Poker, the player can bet 1x-3x the ante after receiving his five down cards. In Mississippi Stud, the player places an ante wager and receives two down cards, and can bet 1x-3x the ante or fold on three successive betting rounds for each of the three community cards to come. And in Ultimate Texas Hold’em, the player has three opportunities to bet once: The player can bet 3x-4x the ante on his two cards before the flop, or 2x on the flop, or 1 on the river.
Meanwhile, a semi-variable betting structure offers some betting flexibility, but generally with restrictions dictated by game rules. For example, in Crazy 4 Poker, the player can bet 1x-3x the ante, but can only bet 3x if he has a pair of aces or better.
The Three Categories of Betting Scalability
1. Fixed: Flat betting structure, with one bet size
2. Variable: Player can bet within a range of bet sizes
3. Semi-variable: Some betting flexibility, often dictated by game rules
Payoff Scalability
Payoff scalability reflects the nature of the payoffs on the bet/play/raise bet. Are there flat payoffs, or is does the game pay according to a paytable?
In a game with flat payoffs, there is one, fixed payoff size – typically even money (1 to 1) – on the bet/play/raise bet. This is the case in most games featuring a player vs. dealer competition, including Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Crazy 4 Poker, Four Card Poker, and High Card Flush.
In a game with scalable payoffs, the player receives bigger payoffs for making bigger hands. Payoffs in these games are made according to a paytable. Mississippi Stud (played strictly against a paytable, with no player vs. dealer competition) and Caribbean Stud (played against a dealer, but with a paytable) both feature scalable payoffs.
The Two Categories of Payoff Scalability
1. Flat payoffs: One payoff size on the bet/play/raise bet, typically even money
2. Scalable payoffs: Bigger payoffs for bigger hands, with wagers paid according to a paytable
Currently, only one prominent game on the market (Mississippi Stud) features both scalable betting and scalable payoffs. Given some thought, it makes sense that this is the case: It is quite difficult to let the player bet more, and win more when he wins, and still have the casino have the house advantage.
The two most basic elements of betting structure are betting scalability and payoff scalability. These two elements are closely intertwined, and are as fundamental to profiling a casino poker variant as VPIP/PFR stats (essentially the percentage of hands a player plays, and how often a player enters the pot with a raise before the flop in hold’em or Omaha) are to profiling a poker player.
Betting Scalability
Betting scalability refers to how flexible player bet-sizing is in a given betting structure. There are three basic categories of betting scalability:
1. Fixed
2. Variable
3. Semi-variable
A fixed betting structure is a flat betting structure with a single – fixed – bet size on the play/raise/bet wager. In Three Card Poker, for example, the player places an ante wager and receives three down cards; the player can bet 1x the ante or fold. In Caribbean Stud, the player gets five down cards and can bet 2x the ante or fold. The player can bet 1x – and only 1x – in Three Card Poker, and only 2x in Caribbean Stud.
In a variable betting structure, the player can bet within a range of bet sizes. In Four Card Poker, the player can bet 1x-3x the ante after receiving his five down cards. In Mississippi Stud, the player places an ante wager and receives two down cards, and can bet 1x-3x the ante or fold on three successive betting rounds for each of the three community cards to come. And in Ultimate Texas Hold’em, the player has three opportunities to bet once: The player can bet 3x-4x the ante on his two cards before the flop, or 2x on the flop, or 1 on the river.
Meanwhile, a semi-variable betting structure offers some betting flexibility, but generally with restrictions dictated by game rules. For example, in Crazy 4 Poker, the player can bet 1x-3x the ante, but can only bet 3x if he has a pair of aces or better.
The Three Categories of Betting Scalability
1. Fixed: Flat betting structure, with one bet size
- Three Card Poker (1x ante)
- Caribbean Stud (2x ante)
2. Variable: Player can bet within a range of bet sizes
- Four Card Poker (1x-3x ante)
- Mississippi Stud (1x-3x ante on 3rd, 4th, and 5th street)
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em (3x-4x pre-flop, or 2x on flop, or 1x on river)
3. Semi-variable: Some betting flexibility, often dictated by game rules
- Crazy 4 Poker (bet 3x with A-A-x-x+, min-bet K-Q-8-4+)
- High Card Flush (bet 2x with 5-card flush, bet 3x with 6- or 7-card flush)
Payoff Scalability
Payoff scalability reflects the nature of the payoffs on the bet/play/raise bet. Are there flat payoffs, or is does the game pay according to a paytable?
In a game with flat payoffs, there is one, fixed payoff size – typically even money (1 to 1) – on the bet/play/raise bet. This is the case in most games featuring a player vs. dealer competition, including Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Crazy 4 Poker, Four Card Poker, and High Card Flush.
In a game with scalable payoffs, the player receives bigger payoffs for making bigger hands. Payoffs in these games are made according to a paytable. Mississippi Stud (played strictly against a paytable, with no player vs. dealer competition) and Caribbean Stud (played against a dealer, but with a paytable) both feature scalable payoffs.
The Two Categories of Payoff Scalability
1. Flat payoffs: One payoff size on the bet/play/raise bet, typically even money
- Three Card Poker
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
- Crazy 4 Poker
- Four Card Poker
- High Card Flush
2. Scalable payoffs: Bigger payoffs for bigger hands, with wagers paid according to a paytable
- Mississippi Stud
- Caribbean Stud
Currently, only one prominent game on the market (Mississippi Stud) features both scalable betting and scalable payoffs. Given some thought, it makes sense that this is the case: It is quite difficult to let the player bet more, and win more when he wins, and still have the casino have the house advantage.
| Scalable Betting and Scalable Payoffs
As we continue our discussion of the elements of betting structure, we will see that offering either scalable betting or scalable payoffs generally comes with tradeoffs in the form of the number of forced bets, max-bet frequency and total betting frequency, and/or win frequency and payoff frequency. Offering both scalable betting and scalable payoffs while keeping the game playable presents a sizable challenge. |
Next: Forced Bets
Jeff Hwang is President and CEO of High Variance Games LLC. Jeff is also the best-selling author of Pot-Limit Omaha Poker: The Big Play Strategy and the three-volume Advanced Pot-Limit Omaha series.
Jeff Hwang is President and CEO of High Variance Games LLC. Jeff is also the best-selling author of Pot-Limit Omaha Poker: The Big Play Strategy and the three-volume Advanced Pot-Limit Omaha series.
