By Jeff Hwang
Going back to the first proprietary table games developed three decades ago, virtually all poker-based table games developed since employ betting structures derived from the original smash hit, Caribbean Stud. In Caribbean Stud, the player starts with an initial ante wager and is dealt five cards, while the dealer is dealt four down cards and one up card. At this point, the player can either bet 2x his ante wager – the “raise” wager – or fold.
In some games, the “ante” wager may be called a “blind” wager, while the “raise” wager might be variously referred to as a “play” wager (as in Three Card Poker), a “call” wager, or simply a “bet” wager. In some games, the size of the play/call/raise/bet wager may be a single fixed amount; for example, in Caribbean Stud, the player can bet 2x the ante, and only 2x the ante. In other games, such as Crazy 4 Poker and High Card Flush, the player can make a range of wagers, but can only make a larger wager if he has a certain qualifying hand (A-A-x-x+ in Crazy 4 Poker, or a five-card flush or better in High Card Flush).
In still other games, the player can bet any amount within a certain range without any other restrictions.
Most games award the play/call/raise/bet wager a fixed amount (typically even money) on all wins when beating a dealer hand, while other games such as Mississippi Stud pay all wagers according to a paytable, and award higher payouts for bigger hands, as in video poker.
In most games, the player starts with a single initial wager, while in other games the player must start with two initial wagers (Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Crazy 4 Poker), or even three (Let It Ride). In most games, there is a single betting round after the initial ante wager; in Ultimate Texas Hold’em, the player has three opportunities to bet once (the player can bet 3x-4x pre-flop, or 2x on the flop, or 1x on the river), while Mississippi Stud features three distinct betting rounds.
Regardless, virtually all poker-based table games have distinct signatures, and can be analyzed and categorized according to at least eight basic sets of elements of betting structure:
1. Betting scalability and payoff scalability. Is it a flat-betting game with a single fixed bet size, or can the player bet more on his good hands? Do wagers pay even money, or is it a paytable game?
2. Number of forced bets. How many initial bets is the player forced to make to start the game?
3. Number of betting rounds. After the initial blind/ante bet, how many betting rounds are there?
4. Max-betting frequency and total betting frequency. What percentage of hands are playable under optimal strategy? And for games with scalable betting, how often can the player bet the maximum?
5. Win frequency and payoff frequency. How often does the player receive money back (payoff frequency), and how often does the player win outright (win frequency)?
6. Average bet per hand (units). How many bets per hand does the player have to make to get to showdown using optimal strategy? What is the true table minimum accounting for all units wagered under optimal strategy?
7. House advantage and element of risk. What does it cost the player to play this game? And what is the house advantage per unit wagered?
8. Qualifiers. Does the game use a dealer-based qualifier?
Let’s talk in greater depth about each of these elements, as well as the impact that these elements have on both game play and – by extension – game design. Click on the link below to continue the discussion.
Next: Betting Scalability and Payoff Scalability
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.
Going back to the first proprietary table games developed three decades ago, virtually all poker-based table games developed since employ betting structures derived from the original smash hit, Caribbean Stud. In Caribbean Stud, the player starts with an initial ante wager and is dealt five cards, while the dealer is dealt four down cards and one up card. At this point, the player can either bet 2x his ante wager – the “raise” wager – or fold.
In some games, the “ante” wager may be called a “blind” wager, while the “raise” wager might be variously referred to as a “play” wager (as in Three Card Poker), a “call” wager, or simply a “bet” wager. In some games, the size of the play/call/raise/bet wager may be a single fixed amount; for example, in Caribbean Stud, the player can bet 2x the ante, and only 2x the ante. In other games, such as Crazy 4 Poker and High Card Flush, the player can make a range of wagers, but can only make a larger wager if he has a certain qualifying hand (A-A-x-x+ in Crazy 4 Poker, or a five-card flush or better in High Card Flush).
In still other games, the player can bet any amount within a certain range without any other restrictions.
Most games award the play/call/raise/bet wager a fixed amount (typically even money) on all wins when beating a dealer hand, while other games such as Mississippi Stud pay all wagers according to a paytable, and award higher payouts for bigger hands, as in video poker.
In most games, the player starts with a single initial wager, while in other games the player must start with two initial wagers (Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Crazy 4 Poker), or even three (Let It Ride). In most games, there is a single betting round after the initial ante wager; in Ultimate Texas Hold’em, the player has three opportunities to bet once (the player can bet 3x-4x pre-flop, or 2x on the flop, or 1x on the river), while Mississippi Stud features three distinct betting rounds.
Regardless, virtually all poker-based table games have distinct signatures, and can be analyzed and categorized according to at least eight basic sets of elements of betting structure:
1. Betting scalability and payoff scalability. Is it a flat-betting game with a single fixed bet size, or can the player bet more on his good hands? Do wagers pay even money, or is it a paytable game?
2. Number of forced bets. How many initial bets is the player forced to make to start the game?
3. Number of betting rounds. After the initial blind/ante bet, how many betting rounds are there?
4. Max-betting frequency and total betting frequency. What percentage of hands are playable under optimal strategy? And for games with scalable betting, how often can the player bet the maximum?
5. Win frequency and payoff frequency. How often does the player receive money back (payoff frequency), and how often does the player win outright (win frequency)?
6. Average bet per hand (units). How many bets per hand does the player have to make to get to showdown using optimal strategy? What is the true table minimum accounting for all units wagered under optimal strategy?
7. House advantage and element of risk. What does it cost the player to play this game? And what is the house advantage per unit wagered?
8. Qualifiers. Does the game use a dealer-based qualifier?
Let’s talk in greater depth about each of these elements, as well as the impact that these elements have on both game play and – by extension – game design. Click on the link below to continue the discussion.
Next: Betting Scalability and Payoff Scalability
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.
