What is Heads-Up Hold’em?

How to Play Heads-Up Hold’em

In Heads-Up Hold’em, the aim of the game is to hold a poker hand that is stronger than the dealers. The poker hand that the player holds has two-hole cards whilst five community cards are dealt to the centre of the table.

To start a round of Heads-Up Hold’em, the player must first place their stake. This can be done by using chips that are found at the right-hand-side of the screen. The chip sizes vary from 0.01 to 25 with the maximum possible bet worth 100. The player then has to place the chips on the Ante section on the table. The Ante section sits next to the Odds section. Whenever the player bets on the Ante section, the same stake will automatically be placed on the Odds section. These two pay out differently but must be played together, thus, it is advised to place a stake on the Ante knowing that the Odds will also have the same stake.

Once the player has placed their bets on the Ante and Odds section, the round starts when clicking on the ‘Deal’ button, found at the right-hand-side of the screen. At this point, the player is dealt two face-up cards by the dealer, who takes two face-down cards themselves. The dealer also places five face-down cards at the centre of the table. These are known as the community cards. Once the player has received their two-hole cards, they can choose to either Check or Raise by three times. When walking you through a round of Heads-Up Hold’em, it is best to divide the section into three separate rounds.

Pocket Cards 3x Raise

If the player chooses to raise, they will place another bet that is worth three times the initial Ante bet. By choosing this option, all five of the community cards are revealed and the dealer shows their hand. The player with the stronger hand wins the round.

If the player chooses to check after receiving their two initial cards, the first three community cards are revealed. These cards are known as the ‘Flop’.

Flop 2x Raise

Once the flop is revealed, the player can choose to either check again or to raise by two times. By choosing to raise, the player pays two times their initial stake and the remaining two cards are revealed. Furthermore, the dealer reveals their hand and the person with the stronger hand wins. If the player chooses to check again, the remaining two cards are revealed.

Turn 1x Raise

After checking twice, the player will have the option to either ‘Fold’ or raise by one time. If they choose to raise, they must place a stake that is equal to the Ante bet. After doing so, the dealer reveals their hand. The person with the stronger cards wins the round. If the player chooses to fold, they abandon their hand and lose their initial Ante and Odds bet.

The Ante Bet Payout

Once all five community cards are revealed and the dealer shows their hand, Heads-Up Hold’em will automatically calculate the winner of the round. If the dealer has less than a Pair, the Ante bet is returned to you as a push. Similarly, if your hand has the same value as the dealer’s hand, your Ante bet is returned as a push. If the dealer has at least a pair but your hand is stronger, you are paid 1:1 for the Ante bet. The same goes for any raise bets.

The Odds Bet Payout

The Odds pay out slightly differently to the Ante bet. If you have one of the following hands, you will receive a payout:

• A Royal Flush pays 500:1
• A Straight Flush pays 50:1
• Four of a Kind pays 10:1
• A Full House pays 3:1
• A Flush pays 3:2
• A Straight pays 1:1

If you have anything lower than a Straight but beat the dealer’s hand, your Odds bet is returned as a push. If the dealer’s hand beats your hand, you lose the Odds bet if you do not have at least a Straight.

Bad Beat Payouts

In the off chance that your hand loses to the dealer, but you have at least a Straight, the Odds bet will pay the following:

• If the dealer beats your Ante bet but you have a Straight, the payout is 5:1
• If the dealer beats your Ante bet but you have a Flush, the payout is 8:1
• If the dealer beats your Ante bet but you have a Full House, the payout is 10:1
• the dealer beats your Ante bet but you have Four of a Kind, the payout is 50:1
• the dealer beats your Ante bet but you have a Straight Flush, the payout is 500:1

Heads-Up Hold’em Additional Bets

In Heads-Up Hold’em, there are also a variety of different side bets that you can benefit from. Below, we look at them in detail.

Trips Plus

If the player’s two-hole cards and the community cards are at least a Three of a Kind, the Trips Plus side bet pays, regardless of the dealer’s cards. The payouts are the following:

• Three of a Kind pays 3:1
• A Straight pays 4:1
• A Flush pays 7:1
• A Full House pays 8:1
• Four of a Kind pays 30:1
• A Straight Flush pays 40:1
• A Royal Flush pays 100:1

Pocket Bonus

The Pocket Bonus pays out if the player’s two hold-cards contain a Pair or an Ace with a face (Jack, Queen, King). The payouts for the Pocket Bonus include:

• A Pair pays 5:1
• An Ace with a Face pays 10:1
• A Suited Ace with a Face pays 20:1
• Pocket Aces pays 30:1

To Conclude

Heads-Up Hold’em is an exciting video poker game from Playtech and is easy to learn. Once you get the hang of the game, you could potentially win massive prizes from the Ante and Odds bet. Furthermore, the side bets also increase your chances of winning, as they do not require you to beat the dealer’s hand. If you want to play the free play mode of Heads-Up Hold’em, you can do so here at Galera.