Hold'em against the dealer. Make one Play raise — the earlier you commit, the bigger it is — with a coach that shows the optimal move every street.
Ultimate Texas Hold'em is Texas Hold'em played against the dealer, not other players — so there's no bluffing and the math is fixed. You and the dealer each get two cards and share five community cards; the best five-card hand wins. The skill is one thing: when and how much to raise.
Every hand you post an equal Ante and Blind (both mandatory), plus an optional Trips side bet. Then you get one — and only one — chance to make the Play raise, and it shrinks the longer you wait:
Because the raise gets smaller each street, betting big early with a strong hand is the whole game. The dealer needs a pair or better to qualify; if they don't, your Ante pushes.
Optimal play is a fixed set of rules. The coach computes the exact move every street (and on the river it counts precisely how many of the dealer's possible hands beat you):
With perfect play the house edge is 2.185% of the Ante. Since the average total wagered by showdown is about 4.15× the Ante, the element of risk (per dollar actually bet) is roughly 0.53% — competitive with the best table games.
| Hand | Blind bet | Trips bet |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 500 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 | 40 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10 to 1 | 30 to 1 |
| Full House | 3 to 1 | 9 to 1 |
| Flush | 3 to 2 | 7 to 1 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | push | 3 to 1 |
The Blind only pays its bonus when you win with a straight or better; with less than a straight it pushes. The Trips side bet pays on your hand regardless of the dealer (and even if you fold), losing only on less than three of a kind.
Raise 4× pre-flop with any pair, any ace, K5+, Q8+, JT (plus a few suited hands); raise 2× on the flop with two pair+, a hidden pair, or a strong flush draw; bet 1× on the river when you likely beat the dealer, otherwise fold. Correct play is a 2.185% edge per ante.
2.185% of the ante with optimal play, or about 0.53% as an element of risk (per dollar wagered), since the average hand commits ~4.15× the ante.
You only raise once, and the size drops each street (4× → 2× → 1×). With a hand worth raising, committing early bets the most while you're a favorite. Checking is for hands too weak to raise yet.
The Blind equals the Ante and pays a bonus only on a winning straight or better (up to 500:1 for a royal); otherwise it pushes. Trips is an optional side bet paying on your own three-of-a-kind-or-better regardless of the dealer.