Four Bet Poker
A non-participatory spectator of a poker game rainbow Three or four cards of different suits, especially said of a flop. Betting a rainbow: to make a bet of one chip of each colour currently in play. Raise See main article: raise rake See main article: rake. Also juice, vig, vigorish rakeback. A 4-bet occurs when a 3-bet is re-raised by any player. The reason it is called a 3-bet is that the automatic posting of the blinds is considered the first bet; the second bet (2-bet) is when a player raises the blinds instead of calling them; and the third bet (3-bet) is the re-raising of the 2-bet. 3-bet poker statistics take much longer to yield useful data when compared to common poker stats such as VPIP and PFR.
- Betting limits apply to the amount a player may open or raise, and come in four common forms: no limit, pot limit (the two collectively called big bet poker), fixed limit, and spread limit. All such games have a minimum bet as well as the stated maximums, and also commonly a betting unit, which is the smallest denomination in which bets can be.
- For example 6-5-4-2-joker would count as a pair of sixes in normal poker with the joker wild, but in ace-to-five low poker the joker could be used as an ace, and in deuce-to-seven low poker it could be used as a seven to complete a low hand.
On This Page
Introduction
Crazy 4 Poker is a poker variation invented by Roger Snow and is marketed by Shufflemaster. It has been around since about 2004 and one of the more successful poker-based casino games.
Video Tutorial
Video uses our practice Crazy 4 Poker game.
Rules
- Play starts with the player making equal bets on the Ante and Super Bonus. The player may also bet on the Queens Up side bet at this time.
- Following is the ranking of hands from highest to lowest:
- Four of a kind.
- Straight flush
- Three of a kind
- Flush
- Straight
- Two pair
- Pair
- Four singletons
- All player and dealer get five cards each.
- The player decides to fold or raise by making a Play wager.
- If the player folds he forfeits all bets.
- The Play bet may be up to three times the Ante bet if the player has at least a pair of aces. Otherwise, the Play bet must be exactly equal to the Ante bet.
- Players make their best four-card poker hand, and discard the fifth card.
- After all decisions have been made, the dealer will turn over his cards and select the best four out of five.
- The player's hand shall be compared to the dealer's hand, the higher hand winning.
- For purposes of the Ante bet only, the dealer needs at least a king high to open.
- The Ante bet pays as follows:
- Dealer does not open: Ante pushes.
- Dealer opens and player wins: Ante wins.
- Dealer opens and ties: Ante pushes.
- Dealer opens and wins: Ante loses.
- The Play bet pays as follows:
- Dealer does not open: Play wins.
- Dealer opens and player wins: Play wins.
- Dealer opens and ties player: Play pushes.
- Dealer opens and wins: Play loses.
- The Super Bonus bet pays as follows. It is not pertinent whether or not the dealer opens.
- Player has straight or higher (beating dealer not required): Super Bonus wins according to pay table below.
- Player has less than straight and wins or pushes: Super Bonus pushes.
- Player has less than straight and loses: Super Bonus loses.
Super Bonus Pay Table
| Player Hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Four aces | 200 |
| Four 2-K | 30 |
| Straight flush | 15 |
| Three of a kind | 2 |
| Flush | 1.5 |
| Straight | 1 |
Strategy
Optimal strategy would be tedious and complicated memorize. However, the player can get extremely close to it with this simple strategy. Follow the first rule to apply.
- Make large raise when allowed (with pair of aces or higher).
- Make small raise with K-Q-8-4 or higher.
- Fold all other.
The increase in house edge with the KQ84 strategy, compared to optimal, is 0.000089%.
Analysis
The next table shows the return of the Ante bet under optimal player strategy.
Ante Bet
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1 | 1,415,369,375,148 | 0.355028 | 0.355028 |
| Push | 0 | 473,003,972,892 | 0.118647 | 0.000000 |
| Loss | -1 | 2,098,272,755,400 | 0.526325 | -0.526325 |
| Total | 3,986,646,103,440 | 1.000000 | -0.171298 |
The next table shows the return of the Play bet under optimal player strategy. A win of 0 also includes folding, in which case a raise bet was never made.
Raise Bet
| Win | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 671,609,661,948 | 0.168465 | 0.505394 |
| 1 | 1,215,649,215,684 | 0.304930 | 0.304930 |
| 0 | 938,265,298,824 | 0.235352 | 0.000000 |
| -1 | 1,093,014,959,196 | 0.274169 | -0.274169 |
| -3 | 68,106,967,788 | 0.017084 | -0.051251 |
| Total | 3,986,646,103,440 | 1.000000 | 0.484904 |
The next table shows the return of the Super Bonus bet under optimal player strategy.
Super Bonus Bet
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four aces | 200 | 73,629,072 | 0.000018 | 0.003694 |
| Four 2-K | 30 | 883,548,864 | 0.000222 | 0.006649 |
| Straight flush | 15 | 3,178,321,608 | 0.000797 | 0.011959 |
| Three of a kind | 2 | 89,974,725,984 | 0.022569 | 0.045138 |
| Flush | 1.5 | 175,813,952,424 | 0.044101 | 0.066151 |
| Straight | 1 | 156,167,261,712 | 0.039173 | 0.039173 |
| Push | 0 | 1,485,273,310,140 | 0.372562 | 0.000000 |
| Loss | -1 | 2,075,281,353,636 | 0.520558 | -0.520558 |
| Total | 3,986,646,103,440 | 1.000000 | -0.347795 |
The next table summarizes the Ante, Play, and Super Bonus bets. The sum shows the player can expect to lose 3.48% for every hand played, compared to the size of his Ante (or Super Bonus) bet. For example, if the player started with $10 on both the Ante and Super Bonus, then he could expect to lose 34.8¢, assuming optimal strategy.
Summary
| Bet | Return |
|---|---|
| Ante | -0.171298 |
| Raise | 0.484904 |
| Super Bonus | -0.347795 |
| Total | -0.034189 |
The next table shows the net overall win between the Ante, Play, and Super Bonus under optimal player strategy.
Net Win
| Win | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 204 | 56,580,432 | 0.000014 | 0.002895 |
| 203 | 17,048,640 | 0.000004 | 0.000868 |
| 34 | 764,060,808 | 0.000192 | 0.006516 |
| 33 | 119,340,480 | 0.000030 | 0.000988 |
| 26 | 147,576 | 0.000000 | 0.000001 |
| 19 | 2,708,500,216 | 0.000679 | 0.012908 |
| 18 | 467,451,204 | 0.000117 | 0.002111 |
| 15 | 239,544 | 0.000000 | 0.000001 |
| 11 | 2,130,644 | 0.000001 | 0.000006 |
| 6 | 75,428,689,424 | 0.018920 | 0.113522 |
| 5.5 | 140,729,630,976 | 0.035300 | 0.194151 |
| 5 | 132,528,726,036 | 0.033243 | 0.166216 |
| 4.5 | 26,782,817,436 | 0.006718 | 0.030232 |
| 4 | 240,544,812,516 | 0.060338 | 0.241351 |
| 3 | 51,462,003,780 | 0.012909 | 0.038726 |
| 2 | 859,165,302,444 | 0.215511 | 0.431022 |
| 1.5 | 11,157,384 | 0.000003 | 0.000004 |
| 1 | 356,744,817,336 | 0.089485 | 0.089485 |
| 0 | 842,169,384 | 0.000211 | 0.000000 |
| -2 | 938,364,828,496 | 0.235377 | -0.470754 |
| -2.5 | 8,290,346,628 | 0.002080 | -0.005199 |
| -3 | 1,106,499,736,032 | 0.277552 | -0.832655 |
| -5 | 45,115,566,024 | 0.011317 | -0.056583 |
| Total | 3,986,646,103,440 | 1.000000 | -0.034189 |
The bottom right cell of the table above shows a house edge of 3.42%. This is the ratio of the expected player loss to the Ante bet. One might argue that since the Super Bonus bet is required I define the house edge as the expected loss to the sum of the required starting bets. However, in the interests of consistency with how the term is defined in other games, I choose to base the house edge on the Ante only. So, for every $100 you bet on the Ante you can expect to lose $3.42 between the Ante, Raise, and Super Bonus combined.
The standard deviation is 3.13, based on the Ante bet.
Overall the player has a 18.56% chance of making a big raise, 57.93% for a small raise, and 23.51% for folding, for an average final wager of 3.14 units. Thus, the element of risk of the game (ratio of expected loss to average total bet) is 3.42%/3.14 = 1.09%.
Queens Up
As far as I know, there are four pay tables available for the Queens Up, according to the choice of casino management. Most Las Vegas casinos use pay table 4.
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Queens Up Pay Tables
| Player Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 | Pay Table 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four of a kind | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 30 to 1 | 40 to 1 | 30 to 1 | 40 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 9 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 7 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| Straight | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 |
| Two pair | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| Pair of queens or better | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
Queens Up — Pay Table 1
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four of a kind | 50 | 624 | 0.000240 | 0.012005 |
| Straight flush | 30 | 2,072 | 0.000797 | 0.023917 |
| Three of a kind | 9 | 58,656 | 0.022569 | 0.203121 |
| Flush | 4 | 114,616 | 0.044101 | 0.176403 |
| Straight | 3 | 101,808 | 0.039173 | 0.117518 |
| Two pair | 2 | 123,552 | 0.047539 | 0.095078 |
| Pair of Qs to As | 1 | 242,916 | 0.093467 | 0.093467 |
| Loser | -1 | 1,954,716 | 0.752115 | -0.752115 |
| Total | 2,598,960 | 1.000000 | -0.030606 |
Queens Up — Pay Table 2
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four of a kind | 50 | 624 | 0.000240 | 0.012005 |
| Straight flush | 40 | 2,072 | 0.000797 | 0.031890 |
| Three of a kind | 8 | 58,656 | 0.022569 | 0.180552 |
| Flush | 4 | 114,616 | 0.044101 | 0.176403 |
| Straight | 3 | 101,808 | 0.039173 | 0.117518 |
| Two pair | 2 | 123,552 | 0.047539 | 0.095078 |
| Pair of Qs to As | 1 | 242,916 | 0.093467 | 0.093467 |
| Loser | -1 | 1,954,716 | 0.752115 | -0.752115 |
| Total | 2,598,960 | 1.000000 | -0.045203 |
Queens Up — Pay Table 3
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four of a kind | 50 | 624 | 0.000240 | 0.012005 |
| Straight flush | 30 | 2,072 | 0.000797 | 0.023917 |
| Three of a kind | 8 | 58,656 | 0.022569 | 0.180552 |
| Flush | 4 | 114,616 | 0.044101 | 0.176403 |
| Straight | 3 | 101,808 | 0.039173 | 0.117518 |
| Two pair | 2 | 123,552 | 0.047539 | 0.095078 |
| Pair of Qs to As | 1 | 242,916 | 0.093467 | 0.093467 |
| Loser | -1 | 1,954,716 | 0.752115 | -0.752115 |
| Total | 2,598,960 | 1.000000 | -0.053175 |
Queens Up — Pay Table 4
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four of a kind | 50 | 624 | 0.000240 | 0.012005 |
| Straight flush | 40 | 2,072 | 0.000797 | 0.031890 |
| Three of a kind | 7 | 58,656 | 0.022569 | 0.157983 |
| Flush | 4 | 114,616 | 0.044101 | 0.176403 |
| Straight | 3 | 101,808 | 0.039173 | 0.117518 |
| Two pair | 2 | 123,552 | 0.047539 | 0.095078 |
| Pair of Qs to As | 1 | 242,916 | 0.093467 | 0.093467 |
| Loser | -1 | 1,954,716 | 0.752115 | -0.752115 |
| Total | 2,598,960 | 1.000000 | -0.067772 |
6-Card Bonus
Some casinos add on a side bet known as the 6-Card Bonus. This side bet is found on multiple poker-derivative games, so I created a special page for it. For more information, please see my page on the 6-Card Bonus.
Millionaire Progressive
This is a $5 'red light' progressive side bet that pays $1,000,000 for a royal flush in spades, using the player's five cards. For all the rules and analysis, please see my page on the Millionaire Progressive.
Practice Game
Before you play for real money, practice your Crazy 4 Poker game right here.
Internal Links
There is also a similar game called Four Card Poker.
External Links
Shufflemaster's official web site for Crazy 4 Poker.
Four Bet Poker Game
Four Bet Poker Bet
Written by:Michael ShacklefordUltimate Bet Poker Download
Most of the time when you make a four-bet pre-flop you will be doing it for value with a really strong hand like pocket Aces or pocket Kings. However, if you are up against aggressive players who are three-betting a lot, you can’t always afford to wait for a strong hand. Sometimes you have to make the occasional four-bet bluff just to keep them honest! It’s a risky play but if you know the right times to attempt it, then there are many positives that can result.
The most important factor to consider is the likelihood that your opponent is bluffing when they three-bet you. Much of this knowledge comes down to your playing history with them. From your time spent at the poker table do you think they are capable of three-bet bluffing? Or are they such a tight player that whenever they show aggression they always have a strong hand? When you’re in the heat of battle it may feel like you are getting attacked left and right with three-bets but, unless you see your opponent’s hand at showdown, it’s impossible to tell if you are just running into monster hands or being exploited. Four-bet bluffing against a player that is perpetually three-betting you will quickly give you an answer – if they fold you have discovered they are bluffing, and if they shove on you they obviously aren’t!
Now that you’ve deciphered which opponents it is worth four-bet bluffing, it’s crucial to talk about the starting hands you should bluff with. At first glance this appears to be irrelevant. After all, if you are bluffing the main way you intend to win the hand is from your opponent folding, not by having the best hand and winning at showdown. However, a process called card removal means that four-bet bluffing when you have a solitary Ace or King in your hand increases the chances of that bluff being successful.
As you probably know, there are only four Aces, four Kings, four Sixes and so on in a deck of cards. When facing a three-bet the main hands that you should be wary of are those involving an Ace or a King; specifically pocket Aces, pocket Kings, Ace-King and Ace-Queen. Card removal means that because you hold one of the four Aces or Kings in the deck it is statistically less likely that your opponent has one of those themselves. Therefore, the probability that they either have a good hand that can’t stand the pressure (such as pocket Nines) or they are bluffing themselves increases. In turn, your own four-bet bluff is more likely to work! Card removal isn’t an exact science – of course your opponent could still have pocket Aces even when you have been dealt A-2 – but it can subtly shift the odds in our favour, convincing us to attempt to a four-bet bluff.
The final thing to bear in mind when four-bet bluffing is how much to bet. In general, when you are bluffing you want to bet the smallest amount that is likely to get the job done. This is because if it goes wrong and you are called, or shoved on, you want to have lost as few chips as you can. Typically, in a cash game where the effective stack size is 100 big blinds (BB), the initial raise will be to 3BBs and a three-bet to 10BBs. When thinking about a four-bet size a good number would be to make it somewhere between 22-26BBs. You can’t really raise much smaller than this because even if an opponent is semi-bluffing with a hand like 7-6 suited they will now be getting great pot odds to call, see a flop and attempt to hit big. Making it bigger would be too risky – because we are mainly interested in getting players that are bluffing to fold, we don’t have to bet that much to succeed if our instincts are correct.