About the Game

Join the Hold'em craze with this fast-paced single-player table game! Dominate the table against two loose yet passive computer opponents. Go "All In" with your monster hands or check on through with your weak hands and catch that miracle river card. You're in control!

Introduction

Texas Hold'em Shootout - the thrill of Texas Hold'em with the fast-paced action of a single-player table game. You get to play Texas Hold'em against two passive, simple-minded bot opponents.

Texas Hold'em is the world's fastest growing spectator sport, and now you can join the excitement without having to wait for or be rushed by other players.

Texas Hold'em Shootout can be enjoyed by experienced and novice players alike:

How to Play

Overview:
This is a table-game version of Texas Hold'em where you play against two virtual opponents, a red bot and a blue bot. The object is to have the best five card hand formed from your two hole cards plus five community cards dealt face up at the centre of the table.

The best hand at the end of the game gets the pot. Tied hands split the pot. 100% of the pot is awarded - there is no rake (i.e. no money is removed from the pot as a casino commission charge).

Getting Started:
Place an initial Blind bet

and click the DEAL button to start.

You and each bot receive two hole cards. Only you can see your cards. The bots have no knowledge of your hand just like you cannot see either of their hands.

The red bot makes the first betting decision. One bot will always call your Blind bet and raise it 1x, the other bot will either call your Blind bet or fold.

At this point, pre-flop, your choices are:

Note, that RAISE and ALL IN are only available if your balance is large enough to make these bets. You may deposit additional funds and return to the game if you wish to place such a bet.

CALL, RAISE, or ALL IN will allow you stay in the game until the end with no additional required bets. The bot that raised you will match any raise you make. The other bot, if still in the game, will fold.

If you choose ALL IN, the remaining bot will expose its cards and all five community cards will be dealt face up. Best final hand wins. Tied hands split the pot.

If you choose FOLD, you are forfeiting your bet and any chance to win on that hand, but you likewise get to avoid having to invest any more money in an unpromising hand.

If you CALL or RAISE, the first three community cards (the flop) are dealt, face-up. A round of optional betting starts with you.

At this point, before the fourth community card (the turn) is dealt, your choices are:

If you CHECK, the bot will do so as well. If you BET, the bot will call, but will not raise.

The fourth community card (the turn) is dealt, face-up. Another round of optional betting starts with you again, just like before.

The fifth and final community card (the river) is dealt, face-up. Unlike standard Texas Hold'em, there is no betting round after the river. The remaining bot reveals its hand. Best final hand wins the pot. Tied hands split the pot.

Other Controls

The TURBO button quickens the pace of play by eliminating certain animations, such as the dealing of the cards. It does not change the method of play or the rules of the game. When Turbo is on, the button is highlighted in red. You can turn the Turbo feature on or off by clicking the TURBO button.

How to Bet

To play Texas Hold 'em Shootout, you must place an initial Blind bet.

Select a chip value by clicking a chip at the bottom of the playing field. The chip you select is displayed in a raised position. To place your bet, click the white bet spot on the table. Each time you click, you place one chip on the table. Your Blind bet must be at least as large as the table minimum limit and cannot exceed the table maximum limit. Also your remaining balance must be large enough to allow you to place a subsequent Call bet.

You may place a Blind bet even if your current balance is not large enough to allow you to subsequently RAISE or go ALL IN. You should make sure to monitor your balance and select the appropriate game denom and/or deposit additional funds accordingly.

To remove a bet before the cards are dealt, press and hold the SHIFT key and then click the bet. To remove all bets, click the CLEAR button.

If you wish to repeat your last Blind bet and play immediately after completing a game, click the REBET AND DEAL button. If your balance is sufficient, this button restores your previous bets and initiates play all in one click.

If you wish to repeat your last bet without initiating a new game, click the REBET button. This restores your previous Blind bet. You can then adjust this Blind bet if you wish. You still need to click the DEAL button to initiate play.

The DOUBLE BET button causes your currently placed Blind bet to be doubled every time you click it. The DOUBLE BET button is only available if your balance can support the bet and the table limit would not be exceeded by doubling the current bet.

If you click the DOUBLE BET button before placing a Blind bet, this is equivalent to first clicking the REBET button and then the DOUBLE BET button. You will still need to click the DEAL button to initiate play.

Bot Behaviour

Bot behaviour is based only on the following rules and never on the value of your cards, the size of your Blind bet, your prior outcomes, your balance, or any other external factor.

If the red bot has a stronger hand than the blue bot before the flop, it will always call and raise your initial Blind bet. The blue bot will fold.

If the blue bot has a stronger hand than the red bot, then the red bot will randomly either call your initial Blind bet or fold. In the former case, referred to as a "rich pot", the red bot is guaranteed to fold the next time around. So, if you subsequently CALL, RAISE or go ALL IN, the red bot will leave the game to you and the blue bot.

If either bot hand is in the lower quartile of standard initial hand rankings, the hand with the highest ranking is selected to be the strong hand; otherwise the best outcome is used. In the case where both bots have equally strong hands, one of the bots is randomly chosen.

After the flop, the remaining bot will always match your betting action. If you CHECK, the bot will check. If you BET, the bot will call, but will never raise. After the flop, you always control the betting.

Comparing Poker Hands

For a given player or bot, their hand is considered to be the best five cards of the seven possible cards - the two initial hole cards and the five community cards. In the case where the player and the bot have a tie with their best five card hand, the sixth card is not used to break the tie. In a case where the five community cards form a Royal Flush, for example, it does not matter if the bot's hole cards are a pair of Aces and the player's hole cards are a 2-3. The best hand for both the bot and the player is a Royal Flush; therefore the bot and the player tie.

If two hands have different outcomes, the hand with the outcome higher on the outcome list wins.

If the two hands have the same outcome (both hands hold a Pair, for example), then the stronger of the two outcomes wins.

For the One Pair, Three-of-a-Kind, and Four-of-a-Kind outcomes, the hand with the highest matching rank wins. For example, a Pair of Kings beats a Pair of 10s.

For a Two Pair outcome, the hand with the higher high Pair wins. For example, a hand consisting of 3-3-8-8 beats a hand consisting of 5-5-7-7, since the high Pair of 8s beats the high Pair of 7s. If the high Pair is the same, then the low Pair is compared. For example, a 5-5-J-J beats a 3-3-J-J because the high Pair matches and the low Pair of 5s beats the low Pair of 3s.

For a Full House, the hand with the higher Three-of-a-Kind wins. For example, K-K-8-8-8 beats an A-A-5-5-5 because the three 8s beat the three 5s.

When comparing Straight, Flush, or Straight Flush hands, the hand with the higher high card wins. For example, a 7-8-9-10-J Straight beats a 6-7-8-9-10 Straight. Likewise, a 7-8-9-10-J Straight beats an A-2-3-4-5 Straight because the Jack high card beats the 5 high card.

If the winning outcomes are the same between two hands, then the remaining cards in the hand are examined. For example, a 5-3-3-8-8 beats a 4-3-3-8-8. While the high and low Pairs both match, the remaining 5 beats the 4.

Likewise, a 4-9-J-8-8 beats a 4-6-J-8-8. The Pair of 8s match, as do the high card Jacks. Looking at the next highest cards, however, the 9 beats the 6.

Poker Hand Rankings

This list contains the possible Poker hand outcomes from highest to lowest. For two cards to have the same rank, they must have the same number (like two 8s) or the same picture (like two Queens).

Rules

A new, standard 52-card deck is shuffled for each hand of play.

Each bot receives two random cards, just like the player.

Bots have no knowledge of the value of the player's initial two cards.

Malfunction voids all pays and play.

Additional Information

The Game Console on the right side of every game provides information and access to additional features:

• Your username
• Your current balance in your chosen currency
• The denomination in which the game is being played

The Meter Bar on the bottom of the game screen displays the amount paid if a win occurred and the amount bet on the last/current proposition.

Texas Hold'em Shootout™ © 2005 Wagerworks
Patent pending 60/635,912

Strategy Tips

Pre-Flop Play:

You are dealt two cards initially. Based on these two cards and based on how much your opponents bet, you need to decide whether to FOLD, CALL, RAISE, or go ALL IN (which is 8x your Blind bet).

* Always fold an unsuited 3-2 with a standard pot. With a rich pot, you should never fold.

Initial Two-Card Hand

Your two-card hands will fall into a few categories. A pair is any two cards of the same rank. If your cards are not paired, you need to look at the highest ranked card and determine whether or not those two cards share the same suit. For example, a two-card hand consisting of a Queen of Hearts + a Ten of Hearts would be considered a "Queen-high, suited" hand. A Queen of Hearts + a King of Hearts, however, would be a "King-high, suited" hand, and a Queen of Hearts + a Ten of Diamonds would be considered a "Queen-high, unsuited" hand.

Standard Pot and Rich Pot

Texas Hold'em Shootout really offers two separate games.

Most of the time, there will be 3x your Blind bet in the pot before your first betting decision. This happens after the first three community cards ("the flop") are dealt, and one bot calls and raises your Blind bet, whilst the other bot folds. This is the "standard pot" game.

However, sometimes there will be 4 x your Blind bet in the pot before your first betting decision. This happens when the red bot calls your Blind bet and the blue bot calls and raises. This is the "rich pot" game.

RAISE or ALL-IN?

When trying to decide whether to RAISE (2x Blind bet) or go ALL IN (8x Blind bet), consider the following. While the ALL IN bet provides the greatest amount of potential payback, it can severely affect a limited bankroll when you lose, especially on the "weaker" strong hands (unsuited King-Jack, for example). You should choose your bankroll, stake size and strategy accordingly.