Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, governed by Genting UK regulations

Introduction

On May 31, 2024 someone posted in my forum Unlike typical rules, Genting casinos in the UK grant an automatic even money payout on the Play bet when the dealer fails to qualify. The original poster shared a link to the rules on the casino's website for verification, and I have included a screenshot of these rules below.

Source: gentingcasinos.co.uk .

Some users, myself included, raised doubts about the accuracy of the website. However, the original poster is adamant about their experience at the casino, asserting that the site’s rules are indeed enforced. So far, I have not managed to confirm this. There are rumors suggesting that they may have lowered the payout table for the Blind bet, but the online rules indicate the standard payout structure of 1-1.5-3-10-50-100.

Rules

For the sake of this discussion, let's assume that the reader is already well-acquainted with the standard rules of the game. Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em According to those standard rules, the Play bet is always in action and pays out even money when the player is victorious. When it comes to the Play bet (also known as the Raise bet), whether or not the dealer qualifies with a pair is irrelevant.

However, as noted earlier, the Genting UK casinos have a unique approach where they automatically award the Play bet even money when the dealer does not qualify.

Strategy

Next, here's the player strategy detailing when to place the substantial 4x Play bet prior to the flop.

Beyond this point, I regret to say you will need to navigate the rest on your own.

Analysis

The table below illustrates the number of combinations for all potential 70 outcomes. Notably, the cell in the lower right corner reveals a player edge of 3.23%.

It’s important to clarify that the player advantage of 3.23% pertains solely to the Ante bet. For instance, if a player wagers $100 on both the Ante and Blind, they can anticipate a $3.23 win.

The following table indicates the likelihood of each Play bet occurring.

• Fold = 0.067144
• Small (1x) = 0.274060
• Medium (2x) = 0.179159
• Large (4x) = 0.479638

The mean Play bet comes out to 2.550929 units. Thus, when factoring in the Ante and Blind, the average total wager stands at 4.550929 units. This leads to a calculated Element of Risk, defined as the average loss for the player against the total amount bet, resulting in -3.23%/4.550929 = -0.71%. Essentially, the player can expect to achieve a gain of 0.71% of the total amount wagered, considering all three bets.

By applying an optimal strategy based on conventional Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em rules, the player advantage is pegged at 1.22%.

Written by: Michael Shackleford