Showdown Poker Rules

Play Showdown Poker

Showdown Poker is an exciting variation of the classic poker game Texas Hold’em. Showdown Poker differs from Texas Hold’em in that you play against the house rather than against other players.

The object of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand by getting the best possible five-card hand from the cards you are dealt and five community cards. If you beat the dealer, you win! To add to the excitement, you can also place a side bet, which pays out if the player’s final hand is three of a kind (or flush) or higher.

Let’s Play! | Rules | Showdown Poker Hands | You Win! | Options Toolbar

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Let’s Play!

To play Showndown Poker:

1. Select a chip value.
2. Click the betting circle until the number of chips displayed equals the amount you want to bet.
3. If you want to place a side bet, click the Bonus betting circle. To bet a different amount from the ante, select another chip value and then click the Bonus betting circle.
4. Optionally, click Clear to remove all your chips from the table.
5. Click Deal.

You must place the ante bet before dealing can begin.

You are dealt four cards face up, and the dealer is dealt four cards face down.

6. Review your cards and do one of the following:
   1. Select two cards from your hand and click Keep. The cards you have not selected will be discarded.
   2. Select two cards from your hand and click Split to divide your four cards into two separate hands. When you split your cards, the second hand created is assigned an ante bet and showdown bonus bet equal to your original wager(s), with the chips deducted from your bank.

   After you make your choice, the dealer’s hand will be revealed after first discarding two cards. Five community cards will then be dealt and the winner of the game will be determined.

• If you beat the dealer's hand, a Win message appears displaying the amount of your total winnings with a summary of both hands. To see a breakdown of your winnings, hover the mouse over the Win message.
• If you do not beat the dealer’s hand, a Lose message appears and your chips are removed from the betting circles.
• If the play pushes, a Push message appears and your chips are removed from the betting circles. All pushes are awarded to the dealer.

If you placed a bonus bet:

• Your cards are evaluated at the end of the game, after the ante bet has been won or lost.
• You can win or lose your bonus bet regardless of the outcome of the main game.

To play again:

1. Click Play Again.

Your bets from the last round are placed on the table.

2. To bet a different amount from the last round, click Clear, select another chip value, and click the betting circles that you want to bet on.
3. Continue with play as described in steps 5 to 6, above.

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Rules

Showdown Poker is a five-card poker game using six 52-card decks that are reshuffled after each hand. To win, you must beat the dealer by getting a higher five-card hand. You and the dealer can both use community cards to complete a hand.

Play begins when you place an initial bet, the ante bet. You may also place an optional bonus (or showdown) bet. You win this bet if your final hand, including the community cards, is a three of a kind or better.

After you place the ante, four cards are dealt to you face up and four cards are dealt to the dealer face down. At this point, you must either choose to keep two cards or split your hand. If you split your hand, your original ante bet and bonus bet are duplicated for the second hand, with the balance deducted from your bank.

After you split or drop two cards, five community cards are dealt and the dealer’s cards are shown. The winner is determined automatically. If your hand beats the dealer’s hand, you win and your ante bet pays 1:1. If the dealer’s hand is better than the player’s, or if there is a push, you lose and your ante bet is removed from the bet circle.

Even if you lose against the dealer, you still receive bonus winnings that you qualify for, paid out according to the Bonus Bet Pay Table .

 

Showdown Poker Hands

Paying hands are ranked in descending order, as follows:

Hand	Definition	Example
Five of a Kind, suited	Five cards of the same denomination, in the same suit.
Royal Flush	10, jack, queen, king, and an ace all of the same suit.
Straight Flush	Five cards in sequence, all of the same suit
Five of a Kind	Five cards of the same denomination
Four of a Kind	Four cards of the same denomination, one in each suit
Full House	Three cards of one denomination and two cards of another denomination
Flush	Five cards all of the same suit
Straight	Five cards in sequence of any suit
Three of a Kind	Three cards of the same denomination and two unmatched cards

 

You Win!

You win if your hand ranks higher than the dealer’s hand. You win the bonus bet if your final hand is a three of a kind or higher.

Ante Bet Payout

When you beat the dealer’s hand, the ante bet pays out at even money (1:1).

Bonus Bet Pay Table

The bonus bet pays out at the following odds:

Hand	Payout
Five of a Kind, suited	1000:1
Royal Flush	200:1
Straight Flush	75:1
Five of a Kind	40:1
Four of a Kind	7:1
Full House	3:1
Flush	2:1
Straight	2:1
Three of a Kind	Push

The above is a default pay table. The final pay table, determined by the options selected by the casino operator, is displayed on the game table.

Options Toolbar

The Showdown Poker Options toolbar gives you access to Help, Cashier, and game settings.

Options toolbar

 

Click the following icons to access Showdown Poker’s options:

Icon	Description
	Opens Poker’s Help
	Opens Poker’s Cashier
	Opens the Options window where game settings can be changed, including the option to show or hide warning messages
	Turns the game’s background music and audio on or off
	Changes the game’s table color scheme