Flop Poker

Introduction

Flop Poker is a variation of poker that I've noticed being played in several casinos in Biloxi. There have also been mentions of this game in other locations across the country, including Atlantic City and Indiana. It's a straightforward game to pick up, as the community cards often lead to players either winning or losing together, creating a potential for significant payouts. One standout aspect of this game is the 'pot' bet, which interestingly has no house edge.

Rules

1. This game employs a single deck of cards, and all hands are evaluated according to classic poker standards.
2. Gameplay commences with the player placing an Ante bet along with a Pot bet. The Ante can be any amount within the established table limits. Meanwhile, the Pot bet is set at the minimum required by the table, which I usually find to be around $5.
3. Each participating player receives three cards dealt face down. Players are allowed to view their own cards, but sharing their cards with others is prohibited.
4. Players can either choose to raise or fold. If a player opts to fold, they lose their Ante while still keeping their cards for the purposes of the Pot bet. When raising, the player places a Flop bet that matches the amount of their Ante.
5. Next, the dealer reveals three community cards face up, known as the flop. All players can utilize these cards.
6. The dealer will evaluate to find the best poker hand using the player's three personal cards alongside two of the community cards. For players holding a pair of jacks or higher, the Ante bet pays out at even money, while the Flop bet is determined based on the pay table below.
7. Ultimately, the player with the highest-ranking poker hand, utilizing their three personal cards and any two of the flop cards, is declared the winner of all Pot bets. In cases where two or more players share the same hand value, the Pot bets will be evenly split among those with the highest hand.

Additionally, there's a rather restrictive pay table that offers a payout of 10 to 1 for a straight, which is less generous than the typical 11 to 1.

Strategy

Players should consider raising with any of the listed hands.

1. At least one card jack or higher.
2. A pair
3. 3 to a flush
4. 3 to any straight

Statistically, players will encounter one of these hands 86.4% of the time.

House Edge

The following table outlines all potential outcomes in Flop Poker, along with their probabilities, win/loss rates, and their contributions to overall returns according to the more generous pay table. The bottom right cell reflects a player return of -0.054237, indicating a house edge of 5.42%. The risk aspect, represented as expected loss to total wagering amount, is 2.91%.

Clearly, the house edge on the pot bet is 0%.

In contrast, under the restrictive pay table, the house edge measures at 6.49%.

Written by: Michael Shackleford