Heads Up Hold’em is a relatively new table game in Las Vegas. It replaced some Ultimate Texas Hold’em tables in the market in the past few years, as noted in our Las Vegas Table Game Survey.
The game plays like Ultimate Texas Hold’em. It adds a bad beat bonus where the player wins if a straight or better loses to the dealer. To offset this, the preflop bet is capped at three times the ante. The other betting rounds are identical to Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
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Las Vegas casinos with Heads Up Hold’em
Heads Up Hold’em is dealt at five Las Vegas casinos. Jerry’s Nugget in North Las Vegas offers the game with a $3 minimum bet. That is an exceptional deal for players. Players can complete a hand to the end with a maximum raise and only have $12 invested. Alternatively, there is a $5 minimum to play only the bonus bet. Paid members have access to more detailed information including table game minimums.
Las Vegas Head Up Hold’em minimum bets
Jerry’s Nugget is just north of downtown in North Las Vegas. It has the lowest minimum bet for Heads Up Hold’em. Other Las Vegas Heads Up Hold’em tables have a $5 or $10 minimum bet.
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How to play Heads Up Hold’em
Heads Up Hold’em is best described as a variant of Ultimate Texas Hold’em. The rules are nearly the same between the two games. The two major differences are that a player may only raise three times before the flop in Heads Up Hold’em as opposed to four times in Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and that Heads Up Hold’em offers players a bad beat bonus in its place. This pays when the player loses with at least a straight. The losing hand can be the entire five-card board with the dealer using its hole cards to improve on it.
The hand starts with the player making an ante and a blind bet. These must be equal. Each player and the dealer are dealt two cards. Players have two options here. One is to check. The other is to raise three times the ante. A raise here ends the action with cards placed in front of the bets.
Three cards are shown in the center of the table. This is the flop. Players may check or bet double the ante. If there is a bet here, the cards go in the center. The turn and river are shown. Players that checked the other two rounds must fold or bet an amount equal to the ante. A folded hand loses the blind and ante. Side bets stay in play and are graded on the community cards.
Once all players have acted, the house shows its two cards. If the dealer does not have a pair, the antes push because the dealer does not qualify. A pair can include community cards. If the house qualifies, the hand is compared with each player. The ante and raises are paid if the player beats the dealer. The house wins these bets if the dealer wins. A tie is a push.
The blind loses with the ante but pushes on ties and most wins. The payouts per dollar bet are:
- Royal flush: 500
- Straight flush: 50
- Four of a kind: 10
- Full house: 1.5
- Straight: 1
The bad beat bonus pays as follows when the player loses to the dealer. The hand may be on the board with the dealer using a single card to improve. For example, if the board has a flush, and the dealer has a card that makes a bigger flush than the board, the player wins the bad beat bonus. The amount shown is multiplied by the bet.
- Straight flush: 500
- Four of a kind: 25
- Full house: 6
- Flush: 5
- Straight: 4
Las Vegas Heads Up Hold’em FAQ
Can I play Heads Up Hold’em in Las Vegas?
Yes. Five Las Vegas casinos deal it.
What is the minimum bet for Heads Up Hold’em?
Jerry’s Nugget deals it for $3. Other casinos have it for $5 or $10.
What is the difference between Heads Up Hold’em and Ultimate Texas Hold’em?
In Heads Up Hold’em, the preflop bet may only be three times the ante. There is a bad beat bonus that makes up for not being able to bet four times like in Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
Last Updated on April 1, 2024 by Kristina Mehaffey