Real Money Ultimate Texas Hold’em

Game Reviews and Poker Strategy
Written by: Sadonna Price , Expert in Online Casinos and Poker

Real money Ultimate Texas Hold’em is a popular game among fans of the World Series of Poker. This casino table variant is fast-paced and carries some massive payouts depending on the hand you get. There’s no rake or blinds, and since it’s just you against the house odds, there’s no need to read bluffs.

This page shows you the best casinos to play Ultimate Texas Hold’em (UTH) with real money and which variants are available to US players. Discover live studio options, strategies, tips on when to raise, and play for free, exclusively at Online United States Casinos.

Playing Ultimate Texas Holdem Online in the US

Currently, you cannot play Ultimate Texas Hold’em online for real money if you are in the US. But don’t worry, we found a couple of very similar poker options available at our top casinos.

Players in the USA Can Play These Hold’em Variations

The following variations offer a comparable experience and are available to players in the USA. The suggested real money casinos have valuable welcome bonuses, quality customer service, and trusted site security.

Caribbean Holdem

Real Money Caribbean Holdem

In Caribbean Holdem, it’s you against the dealer. The game is similar to Casino Hold’em, but with one rule change. 
In Caribbean Hold’em, the Ante bet pays even money only if the dealer doesn’t qualify. 

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Bonus Texas Hold’em

bonus texas hold'em game logo

Bonus Texas Holdem is a version of casino hold’em where you play against the dealer. You’re aiming to win by beating the dealer with the best five-card hand. Your hand is two hole cards and five community cards. You can place a bonus bet at the beginning of the game to activate the bonus game.

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How to Play Ultimate Texas Holdem for Real Money

This game variation preserves the essential structure of Texas Holdem, where it challenges players to combine two “hole” cards with five “community” cards to create the best possible five-card poker hand. However, the way the cards come out and the betting structure are a bit different.

How much you raise in a hand depends on when you choose to do it. Let’s look at a hand’s progression from start to finish depending on your decisions along the way.

  1. Initial Bets

    The game begins when players up the mandatory Ante and Blind bets. At this time, you may also put up an optional wager for the Trips side bet. A stake here can get you a payout on your final five-card hand, even if you lose or fold. There is a paytable specifically for this bet that awards you more for better hands.
  2. Pocket Cards & First Round of Betting

    When all bets are on the table, the dealer will deal two cards face down to each player and two cards face down to themselves. You can take a peek at your hand, of course, but no sharing of hole card information between players will be permitted.

    Based on your two hole cards, you can check to see the flop, or you can make a play bet and raise 3x-4x your ante to see all five community cards.
  3. The Flop & Second Round of Bets

    After primary player decisions, the dealer reveals the flop. If you chose to check in the first round, you now have three community cards to help you decide whether or not to stake more on the hand.

    This time around, you can only raise 2x your ante. If you make the play bet at this level, you’ll see the end of the round with no more decisions. Alternately you can check to see the final two community cards at no additional cost.
  4. The Turn/River & Final Round of Betting

    After the second round of player decisions, the dealer will flip over the turn and river together and complete the five community cards. Now you have all the information for the hand at your disposal.

    Now, to put your hand against the dealer’s and see their cards, you must raise 1x your original ante. If you think you have a losing hand, you can fold and not spend the extra money.
  5. Cards Revealed and Winners

    After everyone raises or folds, the dealer will reveal their hole cards. Their hand must qualify with at least a pair for you to win or lose on all bets. Any outcome against a non-qualifying hand returns your ante as a push.

Dealer Qualification Hands

ultimate texas holdem dealer qualification hands

Dealer qualification is essential because when the dealer doesn’t showdown, only specific bets will be paid out – so when you have a good hand, you’re hoping to see the dealer qualify. Conversely, when you hold a losing hand, you’ll be wanting to see the dealer produce a non-qualifying hand.

When the dealer qualifies –and you beat the dealer– you’ll win even money on the Ante and Play bets, and you’ll win the paytable result on the Blind. When the dealer doesn’t qualify, and you win, you’ll win even money on the Play bet, the Ante bet is returned as a push, and the Blind wager is paid as per the paytable.

Ultimate Texas Holdem Rules

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Ultimate Texas Holdem rules are simple. The game utilizes a standard 52-card deck of playing cards, and all cards hold their traditional poker values, so 2s are the lowest rank, and Aces are the highest. A single deck is used and reshuffled upon the completion of each hand, rather than a multiple-deck shoe.

The game’s objective is to beat the dealer by combining two hole cards with five community cards to form the highest-ranking five-card poker hand. For readers who haven’t found a flush or tallied two pairs in a long while, take a look below for the traditional poker hand hierarchy.

Ultimate Texas Holdem Hand Rankings

The infographic below illustrates the Ultimate Texas Holdem hand rankings from highest to lowest and examples of winning card combinations. Download and save this chart on your cell phone or computer to access the ranking information whenever you need it.

Download the Ultimate Texas Holdem Poker Hands Chart

ultimate texas holdem hand rankings chart
ultimate texas holdem hand rankings chart

Ultimate Texas Holdem Payouts

The odds on Ultimate Texas Holdem are among the best at the casino. The trips side bet and hand strength payout bonuses are key to the games ~98% return to player (RTP) percentage.

Payouts: Blind and Trips Side Bets

The ante and play bets in UTH pay out 1:1 if your hand beats the dealer and they have at least a pair. The real money comes from the massive prizes on the trips and blinds paytables. Check out the charts below to see just how much you stand to win with a strong hand.

ultimate texas holdem odds
ultimate texas holdem Blind Bet Payouts

Blind Bet Payouts

The Blind bet paytable is where the true excitement of Ultimate Texas Hold’em is born. That’s because you get rewarded for making a stronger 5-card hand. The standard payouts are:

Ultimate Texas Holdem Trips Side Ber

Trips Side Bet

The trips side bet also has a paytable, and as the name suggests, you need three of a kind to earn a payout. Better still, you get the payout even if you lose or fold. These are the typical payouts:

Strategy To Win Money At Ultimate Texas Holdem Online

While there is no bluffing or weighing the strength of the dealer’s hand, there is enough strategy in Ultimate Texas Holdem to make it exciting and challenging. Better your odds with some added knowledge and a few simple tips to increase your chances of getting cash prizes. Below are the some basic strategies to remember when playing.

Here are some Ultimate Texas Holdem strategies that you can use to start winning big:

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When To Call

Make the call bet after the river if you have a pair or better with one of your hole cards. If it uses the community cards, your odds of winning are lower.

When to Raise Coins with Arrow Icon Big

Post Flop Raises

After the flop comes out, raise 2x with two pairs or better. Feel free to raise with a single pair as long as you have a top pair with one of your hole cards.

Ultimate Texas Holdem Hole Cards with Coins Icon

Know The Odds

Remember, in Ultimate Texas Hold’em, there is a 2.81% house edge on the initial bet. That is still relatively low but differs from standard WSOP rules.

4x Play Bet

You should always make the maximum 4x Play bet raise when holding the following two-card starting hands:

  • Any pair
  • An Ace with any other card (A 2 through A K); suited or unsuited
  • K 5 through K Q; suited or unsuited
  • K 2 through K 4; suited only
  • Q 8 through Q J; suited or unsuited
  • Q 6 and Q 7; suited only
  • J 10; suited or unsuited
  • J 8 and J9; suited only

2x Play Bet

After seeing the flop, you should always make the 2x Play bet raise when holding the following five-card poker hands:

  • Two pairs or better
  • Any pocket pair except for 2 2
  • Any one pair hand which uses one hole card combined with one community card
  • Any four cards to a flush

Ultimate Texas Holdem Strategy Chart

Below we included a 4x Play Bet Strategy Chart with a detail of when to raise and fold.

ultimate texas holdem strategy chart

Free Ultimate Texas Holdem Practice

Free Ultimate Texas Holdem Practice Icon

Most players feel better knowing a game before they decide to wager real money. Play for free below to simulate gameplay and give you basic stats.

Ease Into Real Money Games With Low-Limit Bets

Once you are comfortable with Ultimate Texas Hold’em, we suggest trying low-limit games. It helps you manage your bankroll and gives you chances to win real money throughout your learning experience.

Bet on UTH for as little as 50¢ at Betway. That means you can start with a small amount and still play many hands.

Start Playing Ultimate Texas Holdem Online for Real Money

King and Ace Hole Cards Icon Big

Fans of Texas Hold’em love playing Ultimate Texas Holdem online for real money. It’s a quick heads-up style poker game that’s easy to learn and follow. With a standard house-edge, no blinds to beat you down, no bluffing, and a high reward paytable, you’re sure to have a good time.

Sign up at Betway or try one of the US-friendly casino options today. New players can use welcome bonuses to start with some extra bankroll. Plus, most of the casinos we review provide an authentic Las Vegas feel through their live dealer studios.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em FAQ

Players ask the experts at Online United States Casinos some questions regarding Ultimate Texas Holdem. Below are the frequently asked questions and their answers.

How do you win Ultimate Texas Holdem?

Your best chance to win is to follow a few simple strategies. First off, avoid bonus and side bets. Only call when you have a pair or better. Finally, take the 2x raise when you have two pairs or a pair that contains one of your hole cards.

Can I practice playing Ultimate Texas Hold’em for free?

Yes, you can practice playing Ultimate Texas Hold’em for free on the game demo above. Try your luck and test out some of the strategies we’ve laid out.

Can I play live dealer Ultimate Texas Hold’em online for real money?

Yes! Many online casinos offer Ultimate Texas Hold’em for real money. Choose from 888 Casino or Betway Casino for the best gaming experience.

Are there real money Texas Hold’em apps?

To play for real money via mobile, you don’t need specific Android or iOS apps for Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Each site is mobile-friendly, so you simply use your web browser to log in. The games and controls work well on small screens to ensure a great experience.

What is the difference between Texas Holdem and Ultimate Texas Holdem?

In Ultimate Texas Holdem players play exclusively against the dealer. This variant also offers side payouts and has a slightly different betting structure than regular Texas Holdem.

Is UltimateTexas Holdem beatable?

Yes, UltimateTexas Holdem is beatable. You can use some basic strategy to improve your chances of having a winning session by lowering the house edge as much as possible.

Sadonna Price

Game Reviews and Poker Strategy

Sadonna Price Expert in Online Casinos and Poker

Sadonna is a casino content creator and former professional poker player that loves using her creativity to provide insight into the most interesting aspects of the casino world.

Learn More About Sadonna