Four Card Poker Strategy
The optimal strategy for Four Card Poker is quite simple to memorize. There is a basic strategy guide published by Shuffle Master - who incidentally, invented the game - which states that players can get a 98.41% return on the combined Ante wager and winning Ante Bonus. Although this may vary slightly, depending on which casino you are playing at (some casinos offer better ante bonus payout schedules than others) On average, the House Edge will be around 3.6% when played with optimized strategy.
Online Poker skill is based on:
1. Knowledge of the game’s mathematics.
2. Money management.
3. Psychological deception.
4. Card memory and analysis.
5. Betting courage.
Your skills at playing poker online depends upon the above elements, and you should be aware of these as you play.
If you want to become a good poker player, you must know the odds of each hand and the probability of receiving a certain card. If you haven’t a clue about the odds, you won’t be able to decide. Yes - you will still be able to win based on luck alone, but why not improve it and make more money? Try and remember at least vaguely the odds and this will help your decision making. Compare the below table of poker odds where each possible poker hand is addressed:
| Hands | Hand Possibilities | Odds in 5 Card Poker |
| Royal Flush | 4 | 1 / 649,740.00 |
| Straight Flush | 36 | 1 / 72,193.33 |
| Four of a Kind | 624 | 1 / 4,165.00 |
| Full House | 3744 | 1 / 694.16 |
| Flush | 5108 | 1 / 508.80 |
| Straight | 10,200 | 1 / 254.80 |
| Three of a Kind | 54,912 | 1 / 47.32 |
| Two Pairs | 123,552 | 1 / 21.03 |
| One Pair | 1,098,240 | 1 / 2.36 |
| No Pair Hand | 1,302,540 | 1 / 1.99 |
By comparing the above table you will note that the odds of getting a pair or better in the first five cards dealt is almost even, while the probability of being dealt a no-pair hand is practically the same. So it’s almost a 3 to 1 chance, when playing against two opponents, that one of them will hold a pair or better in the first five cards dealt.
Likewise, you can create your own rules and tips based on the above data. I have also added additional information about hands where you get no pairs among the first five cards dealt:
| Ace Counting High | King Counting High | Number of Possible No-Pair Hands |
| Ace High | King High | 502,860 |
| King High | Queen High | 335,580 |
| Queen High | Jack High | 213,180 |
| Jack High | Ten High | 127,500 |
| Ten High | Nine High | 70,380 |
| Nine High | Eight High | 34,680 |
| Eight High | Seven High | 14,280 |
| Seven High | Six High | 4,080 |
Memorize and use the above statistics to improve your playing. Remember that without practice, no matter how many books or new strategies you come across - you will never be able to use them in the heat of poker. So? Practice!

