Crazy 4 Poker Online Casino

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Crazy 4 Poker online is the internet-based version of a Shufflemaster table game. It’s been around for at least 15 years as of 2020.

Crazy 4 Pokeris a volatile and e Giting gaQe that features headtohead play against the ealer and to bonus bets. To begin layers ust aOe eUual Ante and uper onus agers. An optional ueens p ager is also available. Layers and the ealer eaGh reGeive ve ards to aOe their best four Gard poOer hands. You’ll go absolutely Crazy 4 this game! Crazy 4 Poker is a variant of 4 card poker. Instead of four cards, each player and the dealer are dealt five cards face down. Crazy 4 Poker uses a standard 52 card deck. Players are required to make two bets of equal value on both the Ante and Super Bonus.

Crazy 4 Poker is popular.

The purpose of this post is to teach you how to play Crazy 4 Poker online well enough to win more often than the average player.

How to Play Crazy 4 Poker Online

Playing Crazy 4 Poker online is more or less just like playing it in a land-based casino.

You start by making 2 bets:

  1. Ante
  2. Super Bonus

These 2 bets must be of the same size.

You can also choose an optional side bet, the Queens Up bet.

You get 5 cards. And the dealer gets 5 cards too.

After you get your cards, you can either fold or make a Play bet.

Folding in Crazy 4 Poker is just like folding in any other poker game. You forfeit any chance of winning, but you also don’t have to put any more money into action.

Folding is a good idea when you have a lousy hand.

If you have a pair of aces or better, you can place a Play bet of up to 3 times the size of your ante bet.

If you have any hand lower than a pair of aces, you can only place a Play bet of the same size as your ante bet.

After that, you discard a card so that you can make your best possible 4-card poker hand.

The dealer does the same thing, and you compare hands.

The better hand wins.

How Do the Hands Rank in Crazy 4 Poker Online

The standard poker hand rankings don’t apply in Crazy 4 Poker, because it’s not a 5-card game.

Here’s a list of the possible hands in Crazy 4 Poker online, from best to worst:

  1. 4 of a kind
  2. Straight flush
  3. 3 of a kind
  4. Flush
  5. Straight
  6. 2 pair
  7. Pair
  8. Anything else

You’ll probably notice that a straight flush, which is normally the best hand in any game of poker, is the 2nd-best hand in Crazy 4 Poker. You’ll probably also notice the lack of a full house. (It’s impossible to have a full house because that hand requires 5 cards.)

Memorize these hand rankings. It won’t take you long. It’s impossible to make the right decision about which cards to hold and which card to discard if you don’t understand the hand rankings.

The ranking of your hand is going to affect your payout when you win, but it’s not like video poker. You don’t just get paid off on the value of your hand.

You also must beat the dealer hand.

How the Payouts in Crazy 4 Poker Work

The payouts vary based on whether or not the dealer is able to “open.” The dealer only opens when he has a king or higher in his final hand.

Here’s how the payouts work if the dealer opens:

The ante bet pays off at even money if you have the better hand.

It’s treated as a push if you have a tie with the dealer. And if the dealer has a better hand, you lose your ante bet.

The Play bet works the same way if the dealer opens — if you win, you win, and if the dealer wins, you lose. If there’s a tie, it’s treated as a push.

The differences come up if the dealer DOESN’T open.

The play bet WINS if the dealer doesn’t open, no matter what you have in your hand.

So far, these bets all pay out at even money.

The only bet that doesn’t pay out at even money is the Super Bonus Bet, which pays off based on the strength of your final hand. And the Super Bonus Bet pays off whether the dealer opens or not, as follows:

  • 4 aces pays off at 200 to 1
  • Any other 4 of a kind pays off 30 to 1
  • A straight flush pays off at 15 to 1
  • 3 of a kind pays off at 2 to 1
  • A flush pays off at 3 to 2
  • A straight pays off at even money

The Queens Up Side Bet and Its Payouts

The Queens Up side bet has its own pay table. (Remember that one? It’s an optional bet you can place at the beginning of the hand.)

The payouts vary from casino to casino, but they’re always based on the following hands:

Play crazy four poker online
  • A 4 of a kind pays off at 50 to 1 everywhere.
  • A straight flush pays off at 30 to 1 or 40 to 1, depending on where you play.
  • A 3 of a kind pays off at 7 to 1, 8 to 1, or 9 to 1 — again, depending on where you play.
  • A flush pays off at 4 to 1 everywhere.
  • A straight pays off at 3 to 1 everywhere.
  • 2 pair pays off at 2 to 1 everywhere.
  • A pair of queens or higher pays off at even money.

What Kind of House Edge Does Crazy 4 Poker Have?

When discussing casino games, the concept of house edge becomes useful. It’s just a projection or estimate of what you’re expected to lose over time playing a specific casino game.

It’s based on the discrepancy between the odds of winning and the amount of the payoff you get.

In all casino games, the odds of winning are always longer than the payout odds.

In other words, if you’re getting even money, you can bet that you have a less than 50% probability of winning.

When you’re playing Crazy 4 Poker, the house edge varies from bet to bet, but you can estimate the overall house edge for the game if you ignore the Queens Up bet.

If you play with the optimal strategy — or close to it — the house edge for Crazy 4 Poker is only about 1.1%, making it one of the better casino games available. It’s not blackjack, but it’s still a good deal.

The house edge on the Queens Up bet, though, isn’t as good. It’s at least 3.4%, and that’s with the optimal pay table. The worst pay table has a house edge of over 6%.

My advice is to skip the optional side bet.

That’s good advice with most casino games, by the way — skip the side bets.

Optimal Crazy 4 Poker Strategy

The mathematically optimal Crazy 4 Poker strategy is hard, but you can get close to the optimal house edge by following this simple 3 point strategy:

First, make the 3X raise whenever you can. That’s always the right move.

Next, make the 1X raise any time you have a king, queen, 8, and 4 or better.

Finally, fold anything else.

That’s it. This simplified strategy was available on the Wizard of Odds site, and I have no reason to doubt its accuracy.

Finally

That’s my short, sweet, simple guide to Crazy 4 Poker online.

The only thing you need to do now is find an online casino that offers the game.

If you have any suggestions for good online casinos offering the game, leave me a note in the comments.

The invention of the hybrid table game known as Crazy 4 Poker is officially credited to casino game designer Roger M. Snow, who was working for Shuffle Master at the time.

Crazy 4 Poker dates back to 2003 according to the official U.S. Patent claim filed for the concept. Shuffle Master is the company behind several popular casino gaming products, including Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Blackjack Switch, and Casino War.

Shuffle Master, along with the ownership rights to Crazy 4 Poker, was acquired by casino gaming titan Bally Technologies in 2013.

Currently, the game holds status as one of the more popular hybrid table games ever created, spreading throughout the gambling mecca of Las Vegas, as well as to several local casinos throughout the United States.

The game combines many of the elements prized by table game enthusiasts, including multiple base game bets, bonus side bets, an escalating pay table, and player decision points.

Crazy 4 Poker also made headlines in 2013, when dealers at the Hollywood Casino Columbus inadvertently allowed players to make one of the mandatory bets optional. By leaving this bet up to the players, it is the more difficult of the game’s two base wagers to win, the venue accidentally created the rarest of finds in the casino setting: a positive expectation game for players.

Once the crowds caught on players were lining up to take advantage, and the property lost thousands of dollars before table game managers caught on to the mistake.

Test it Out

If you’ve passed by the Crazy 4 Poker table at some point and found yourself wanting to play, but lacking the knowledge or confidence to do so, this page is your one stop shop for knowledge on the game. We’ll begin with a detailed walkthrough meant to introduce readers to the fundamentals, including the available wagers, the payout system, and the general rules. Next up is a guide to locating Crazy 4 Poker tables at your favorite brick and mortar casinos, followed by a primer on proper strategy to help you improve your overall odds.

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Rules and How to Play

Crazy 4 Poker follows the traditional table game setup, with up to five players ringing a semicircular table, and the dealer running the game from the opposite side.

Each player has a betting area on the felt in front of them, and in this game, you’ll be using two base game betting circles, along with a third and fourth betting circle for two optional side bets.

The objective of Crazy 4 Poker is to form the best four card poker hand out of five cards, using a modified version of the traditional poker hand hierarchy.

Crazy 4 Poker Hand Rankings

If you’re not familiar with the way poker hands stack up, check out the rankings used in Crazy 4 Poker:

Four of a Kind

Four of same card.

Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Three of a Kind

Three of same card.

Flush

Four cards in the same suit.

Straight

Four consecutive cards.

Two Pair

Two pairs of the same card.

One Pair

One pair of the same card.

High Card

Highest of four unmatched, non-straight, & non-flush cards.

As you can see, the typical highest hand found in poker, the royal flush is nowhere to be found. With only four cards to work with out of the five you’ll be dealt, the highest possible hand in this game is four of a kind, followed by a straight flush – which uses only four consecutive, suited cards in this case, rather than five.

#1The game begins once each player has placed the mandatory wagers on both the Ante and the Super Bonus betting circles; these mandatory bets must be of equal size.

At this time, players may also opt to wager on the Queens Up side bet (which will be explained in greater detail later in this section).

#2Once all players have placed their Ante and Super Bonus bets, along with the Queens Up side bet if they choose, the dealer will then distribute five cards to each player.

The player’s cards are dealt face up, while the dealer also takes a five-card hand dealt face down.

#3At this point, each player will assess the relative strength of their five cards, attempting to make the best possible four card poker hand.
  • When you hold junk, you may elect to fold, and when you do, you’ll simply forfeit the hand straight away and surrender your pending wagers to the house.
  • When you have decent cards, the other option is to raise or “play,” in which case you’ll be required to post an additional bet in order to continue.
#4This “Play” wager must be equal in size to the Ante bet you’ve already put up – except when you hold one pair of aces or better. In this case, you now have the option of increasing the “Play” bet up to three times the size of your Ante.
#5Once you’ve either folded or made the raise bet, and all other players have done the same, the dealer will then reveal their own five cards before setting out the best four card poker hand.
#6After all winning wagers have been paid out, and losing bets claimed by the house, the dealer will reshuffle the deck and begin a new hand.

Game Bets & Payouts

Now, on to the good stuff: the payouts.

In the game of Crazy 4 Poker, the payouts for each bet are awarded individually, so upon completion of each hand, a three part process is applied. One thing to keep in mind regarding this payout system is the concept of dealer qualification on Ante bets. In this game, the dealer must produce a hand of king high or better in order to “open” or show down their hand.

Payouts will be distributed according to the following system:

Ante Bet Payouts

  • When dealer does not open, Ante bet is returned as a push.
  • When dealer opens and player wins, Ante bet wins even money.
  • When dealer opens and ties, Ante bet is returned as a push.
  • When dealer opens and wins, Ante bet is lost.

Raise Bet Payouts

  • When player wins, Raise bet wins even money.
  • When player and dealer tie, Raise bet is returned as a push.
  • When dealer wins, Raise bet is lost.

Super Bonus Bet Payouts

  • When player makes a straight or higher (beating dealer is not required) Super Bonus bet wins.
  • When player makes less than a straight (and wins or pushes)Super Bonus bet is a push.
  • When player makes less than a straight and loses, Super Bonus bet is lost.

Both the Ante and Raise bets pay out at even money when you beat the dealer.

The Super Bonus bet pays out according to the following pay table:

HANDPAYOUT
Four Aces200 to 1
Four 2’s – K’s30 to 1
Straight Flush15 to 1
Three of a Kind2 to 1
Flush1.5 to 1
Straight1 to 1

Queens Up Side Bet Payout

Finally, when you choose to make the Queens Up side bet, you’re simply wagering that your hand will form one pair of queens or better. When it does, your side wager is paid out according to one of the following four primary pay tables.

PLAYER HANDTABLE 1TABLE 2TABLE 3TABLE 4
Four of a Kind50 to 150 to 150 to 150 to 1
Straight Flush30 to 140 to 130 to 140 to 1
Three of a Kind9 to 18 to 18 to 17 to 1
Flush4 to 14 to 14 to 14 to 1
Straight3 to 13 to 13 to 13 to 1
Two Pair2 to 12 to 12 to 12 to 1
Pair of Q’s or Better1 to 11 to 11 to 11 to 1

While each of these pay tables can be commonly found, the figures under “Table 4” are generally the ones used in Las Vegas casinos.

#1For the sake of this discussion, we’ll use a running example hand in which we’ve wagered $5 on the Ante and $5 on the Super Bonus. Let’s assume we’ve wagered $1 on the Queens Up side bet.
#2The dealer then hands us the following five-card combination: As Ad Kh Kd 2s.

We’ve caught a lucky hand and hold two pair, aces and kings, so the obvious choice here would be to raise and make the “Play” bet. With at least one pair of aces in the hole, we can elect to raise up to three times the size of our Ante bet, and because two pair represents such a strong hand in this game, we’ll go ahead and max out with a $15 raise on the “Play” bet.

#3The dealer holds only Ks Jh 9d 3c for just king high, and thus we are the winner with two pairs. We made two pairs with aces and kings to beat the dealer’s king high, so let’s see how the payout process works out.
  • For the Ante bet, the dealer opens their king high, and we beat the dealer, so our $5 wager is paid out at even money for a $5 profit.
  • For the raise “Play” bet, we made it $15 and won, so we’ll get another $15 profit at even money there.
  • For the Super Bonus bet, we didn’t manage to make the straight minimum requirement, so we’ll lose that $5 wager to the house.
  • Our two pair is good enough for a 2 to 1 payout on our $1 wager on the Queens Up side bet, so we’d earn an additional $ profit.
#4All told, using this particular example hand, we wagered $5 on the Ante, $5 on the Super Bonus, $15 on the raise “Play” bet, and $1 on the Queens Up side bet. This equates to a $26 total wager. With our two pairs of aces and kings, we won $5 profit on the Ante, $15 profit on the raise “Play” bet, lost $5 on the Super Bonus, and won $2 on the Queens Up side bet for a net win of $17.

Best Places to Play Crazy 4 Poker

Crazy 4 Poker has flourished in the brick and mortar casino setting since its debut in 2004, and the game can now be found in several casinos across America.

When it comes to the realm of online casinos, players living in Nevada, New Jersey, or Delaware can enjoy Crazy 4 Poker over the internet through one of their state’s legalized and regulated online casino platforms.

Also on the online front, searches indicate that the Betfair online casino platform also carries the game, so if you’re a Betfair loyalist, you should be able to access the game on your preferred site.

Brick and Mortar Casinos

Back to the brick and mortar arena, the following casino properties currently offer Crazy 4 Poker at this time:

Crazy 4 Poker Odds

  • Harrah’s Ak Chin Hotel and Casino – Phoenix, AZ
  • Harrah’s Resort Southern California – San Diego, CA
  • Horseshoe Southern Indiana Hotel and Casino – Elizabeth, IN
  • Harrah’s North Kansas City Hotel and Casino – Kansas City, MO
  • Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino – Windsor, Ontario, Canada
  • Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • Rio All Suite Las Vegas Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, NV (Off Strip)
  • Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • The Cromwell Las Vegas Boutique Hotel – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • The LINQ Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)
  • The Mirage Las Vegas Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, NV (The Strip)

This list is by no means comprehensive, however, and with the ubiquitous presence of Crazy 4 Poker tables in most major casinos, chances are your local venue carries the game as well.

Look Around in Casinos Near You

If you’re not located nearby one of these casino properties above, place a call to your favorite property and ask for the table games manager. Inquiring about the status of Crazy 4 Poker doesn’t cost a penny, and with this game’s overwhelming popularity, you’ll most likely find it there – or find someone who can point you in the right direction.

Strategic Considerations for Crazy 4 Poker

The optimal strategy for a game as complex as Crazy 4 Poker would require thousands of words to describe, but fortunately, Michael Shackleford of Wizard of Odds fame has devised a simple three step guide to playing your card correctly.

The basic strategy boils down to this:

  • Raise to 3 times your Ante whenever allowed (holding one pair of aces or better)
  • Raise to the same amount as your Ante when holding K Q 8 4 or better
  • Fold all other hands

By sticking to this simple set of rules, you’ll create the most favorable game conditions for yourself, with a total combined house edge on all bets of 3.42 percent. This falls in line with the most player friendly hybrid table games, so you’re not sacrificing anything from a strategic standpoint by playing Crazy 4 Poker.

Finally, keep in mind that proper strategy should have you making the maximum raise of 3 times your Ante bet on 18.56 percent of hands, opting for the minimum raise on 57.93 percent of hands, and folding 23.51 percent of the time.

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So even when it seems like you’re folding too much and giving away chips, as long as you’re holding onto roughly three-quarters of your hands, and folding the rest, you’re doing just fine.