Daredevil Poker

Introduction

Daredevil Poker presents a unique twist on traditional poker, where both the player and dealer are dealt seven cards each, and the player can choose how many cards to use against the dealer. The fewer cards played, the greater the potential payout for the player.

As of October 2022, players can enjoy this exciting game at a casino located in Florida. Hialeah Park This game, offered by Galaxy Gaming, was showcased at the 2022 Global Gaming Expo to promote its release.

Rules

1. A single 52-card deck is used.
2. Gameplay initiates with players placing equal bets on both the Ante and Odds components.
3. During this phase, players have the opportunity to engage in optional side bets such as Safety Net, Flush, Straight Flush, and Prime 7.
4. Each participant, including the dealer, is dealt a total of seven cards.
5. Players have the option to select between one to five cards to compete against the dealer.
6. The dealer will reveal their cards and will form the optimal five-card poker hand from the seven received.
7. The player's hand is then compared to that of the dealer's to determine the winner.
8. A player's hand is eligible for a straight or flush only if it includes five cards.
9. In cases where players use fewer than five cards, if there is a tie, the dealer wins since they can leverage the strength of their unmatched card. For instance, if both the player and dealer have pairs of King and Queen, but the player has only four cards, the dealer’s additional unmatched card would secure the win.
10. The dealer must possess at least a king-high hand to make the game official. If not, the Ante bet is returned to players regardless of their poker hand's value.
11. In the absence of the dealer having a qualifying hand, the comparing hands take place, and the hand with the higher value wins. If the dealer wins, the Ante is lost. Conversely, if the player wins, the Ante is rewarded based on the number of cards in their hand, according to a specific payout table. A tie results in the Ante being returned.
    • Player wins with one card — 10 to 1
    • Player wins with two cards — 3 to 1
    • Player wins with three cards — 2 to 1
    • Player wins with four cards — 6 to 5
    • Player wins with five cards — 1 to 1
12. The required Odds bet will be paid based on the total of all seven player cards, with the payouts structured as follows:
    • Six-card royal flush — 5000 to 1
    • Five-card royal flush — 400 to 1
    • Five-card straight flush — 100 to 1
    • Four of a kind — 20 to 1
    • Full house — 5 to 1
    • Flush — 3 to 1
    • Straight — 2 to 1
13. The Safety Net side bet offers a payout of 30 to 1 if the dealer does not achieve a minimum of a king-high hand.
14. The Flush side bet compensates based on the maximum number of matching suit cards in the player’s hand, detailed further below:
    • 7-card flush — 300 to 1
    • 6-card flush — 100 to 1
    • 5-card flush — 10 to 1
    • 4-card flush — 1 to 1
15. The Straight Flush side bet rewards the player based on the longest consecutive flush found in their hand, with payouts as specified:
    • 7-card straight flush — 8000 to 1
    • 6-card straight flush — 1000 to 1
    • 5-card straight flush — 100 to 1
    • 4-card straight flush — 60 to 1
    • 3-card straight flush — 7 to 1
16. The Prime 7 side bet pays out if the player’s hand contains at least six cards of the same color, detailed in the following information:
    • 7 cards same color — 50 to 1
    • 6 cards same color — 4 to 1

Example

In the provided example, I wagered $100 each on both Ante and Odds. Additionally, I placed $5 bets on Prime 7, Safety Net, and Bonus Jackpot, while opting to keep only my pair of eights.

The dealer qualified with an ace-high hand. My eights triumphed over the dealer's ace, leading to a $300 win from my $100 Ante bet at a 3 to 1 payout. All other bets unfortunately lost.

You can access the demo version where I obtained these screenshots for free at Galaxy Gaming .

Strategy

Below is a strategy crafted by Charles Mousseau, the original mathematician behind Daredevil Poker, who claims it closely aligns with the optimal strategy.

• In situations where you have two pairs or four of a kind, you should consider playing four cards.
• Should you attain a five-card straight or a stronger hand, play all five cards.
• With a pair, play two cards.
• With a three of a kind, play three cards.
• With ace high, play one card.
• If your best hand is king-high or weaker, it's recommended to play with five cards.

Analysis

The mandatory wagers include Ante and Odds. Charles Mousseau, the mathematician behind Daredevil Poker, states that players have a 41.87% edge on the Ante bets. As outlined in the accompanying table, the house edge on the Odds bet stands at 45.24%. When making equal bets on both options, players can expect to lose about 3.37% relative to their Ante bet. This means the house advantage is effectively 3.37% based on the Ante alone, reducing to 1.685% when factoring both mandatory initial bets.

My assessment of the mandatory Odds bet reveals that the house edge clocks in at 45.24% in the lower right cell.

In my breakdown of the Safety Net side bet, the analysis shows an 8.18% house edge, noted in the lower right corner.

In regards to my evaluation of the Flush side bet, which pays if the player achieves a flush of at least four cards, the analysis indicates a house edge of 7.81%, showcased in the lower right cell.

The assessment of the Straight Flush side bet indicates it rewards players if they have a straight flush of at least three cards, carrying a house edge of 13.09% as reflected in the lower right cell.

As for my evaluation of the Prime 7 side bet, which wins if the player has a minimum of six cards of the same color, it reveals a house edge of 5.10% in the lower right corner.

Acknowledgements

I extend my gratitude to Ashford Kneitel, the owner of the game, for providing Charles Mousseau's mathematical report, which was instrumental for this analysis. The insights presented on this page are entirely my own apart from those referencing the Ante bet and strategy, which I credit to Charles.

Written by: Michael Shackleford