Live Dealer Heads Up Holdem Poker from Playtech

Heads Up Holdem is the latest live poker game to be introduced by Playtech. It comes to you from their Romanian studio with it’s unmistakable neon blue ball background.

Like all other live poker tables, it is not a peer to peer poker game. You are playing against the dealer/house, rather than other players.

It’s essentially a house poker adaptation of Texas Hold’em. Very similar in fact to Evolution’s Ultimate Texas Holdem table, save for a few win condition and payout tweaks.

How to Play Heads Up Hold’em

The quick and dirty:

• An Ante (+automatic Odds bet) gets you in the main game.
• Optional Trips Plus and/or Pocket Bonus bets may be taken also.
• You are playing heads up agains the dealer, and must take 1 (and 1 only) raise opportunity:
  – 3x (Ante+Odds) after receiving your Pocket cards, OR
  – 2x after the Flop, OR
  – 1x after the Turn & River (which come out together).
• If you never raise, you forfeit your bet and the dealer wins.
• If you have taken 1 of the raise opportunities, yours and dealer’s hands (best pocket and community card combo) are compared using normal poker hand ranks and you win or lose accordingly.

The Main Game (Ante + Odds bet bet)

To begin, you’ll need to place an Ante bet. When you do this, the same value bet is automatically placed on the Odds position. Different win conditions and payouts will apply to these bets (see below).

Players’ pocket cards are then dealt face up. Dealer draws pockets face down and you have your first check or raise decision:

• check and preserve your right to raise later in the deal, or
• raise which at this point equals 3 times your combined Ante and Odds bets, and after which you can no longer raise.

Out comes the Flop, and if you haven’t already raised you are have the option to:

• check and preserve your right to raise after the River, or
• raise equal to 2 times your combined Ante and Odds bets (again no further raise possible)

The Turn and River come out together. Last chance to raise if you haven’t already done so. At this point the raise equals 1 times your combined Ante and Odds bets.

If you do not take this last raise opportunity, you fold and your bets are forfeited.

If you haven’t folded, your hand is compared to the dealers applying standard poker hand ranks and you get a payout according to the below win conditions.

Win Condition and Payouts

If dealer hand qualifies (pair or better), and:

• Player hand wins:
  – Ante, Raise bets pay even money, Odds bet pushes where you have 3 of a kind or less, otherwise
  – Ante, Raise bets pay even money, Odds bet pays according to win payout (below)
• Dealer hand wins:
  – Ante, Odds, Raise bets are lost where you have 3 of a kind or less, otherwise
  – Ante, Raise bets are lost, Bad Beat payout (see below) is applied to Odds bet
  (So it is possible to receive a payout even if you lose the hand!)
• Hands Tie: Ante, Odds, Raise bets all pushed

If dealer hand doesn’t qualify, irrespective of winning hand, Ante and Raise bets are pushed, Odds bet pays according to win payout (below).

Side Bets and Payouts

The Trips Plus side bet pays according to the following table. You are betting on a player hand of 3 of a kind or better. It pays irrespective of a win or loss on the main game. It pays even if you folded the main game.

The Pocket Bonus side bet pays according to the following table depending on your pocket cards.

Again, it pays irrespective of a win or loss on the main game. It pays if you folded the main game.

Choose how your hand is presented…

This is a nice little feature. You can choose how your hand is presented.

Community cards and pockets…

…or best poker hand combining pockets and community cards…

Bets/payouts succinctly explained…

Also welcomed, is an easily accessible, simple graphical explanation of the possible bets.

Mandatory main game bets (Ante, Odds, Raises)…

And the Trips Plus and Pocket Bonus side bets…

Heads Up Holdem Return to Player

Theoretical returns are as follows:

• Ante/Odds/Raise bets (ie the main game): 97.64%
• Trips Plus side bet: 96.66%
• Pocket Bonus side bet: 95.48%

Heads Up Holdem Full House Rules

…are here.

A few recorded rounds…

Where to Play Heads Up Holdem

The above game was played at bet365.

It is likely most Playtech live casinos will carry the table in coming weeks.