Four-card poker must be played according to the following rules:
(1) Four-card poker may only be played on tables designated by the licensee for the play of Four-card poker. A single deck of cards must be used. The rank of hands in Four-card poker, from highest to lowest is four of a kind, straight flush, three of a kind, flush, straight, two pair, and pair. The rank of hands in the optional progressive side wager, from highest to lowest is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, and three of a kind;(2) There are three ways to play: playing against the dealer-ante wager; playing against the pay table; or, playing both;(3) Each player may make one or more wagers as follows in accordance with posted table limits: (a) To play against the dealer by placing an ante wager on the ante spot;(b) To play the hand value against the pay table by placing an aces up wager on the aces up spot;(c) To play against the dealer and the pay table by placing the ante wager on the ante spot and an aces up wager on the aces up spot;(d) To play the hand value against the pay table by placing a progressive wager on the sensor in front of the player's position; or(e) At the casinos discretion, a player may place wagers at more than one betting position during a round of play;(4) After all player's place their bets, the dealer shall press the appropriate button on the keypad. The sensors shall lock in the bet and light up, indicating a progressive wager. The dealer shall remove all progressive bets from the table. The optional progressive wager shall be collected prior to cards being dealt. The sensor shall stay lit during the round of play if a progressive wager was made and winning hands shall be paid at the completion of the round of play;(5) Each player receives five cards face down. Cards are delivered to the player from the dealer's left to right rotation. The dealer should give himself or herself five cards face down and one card face up;(6) After examining their cards, player's have the option to either make a play wager in the amount between one and three times the player's ante wager, or forfeit the ante wager by folding. If the player folds with a pair of aces or better, the player forfeits the ante, but the aces up bet wins;(7) After each player has either placed a play wager on the play spot or folded, the dealer collects all forfeited wagers and cards. If the four-card poker progressive wager is offered and a player has bet on the optional progressive wager, the player's cards shall be placed face down on or near the progressive sensor when folding;(8) The dealer shall arrange his or her hand from highest card value to the lowest, and announce his or her best four-card hand. The two cards the dealer doesn't use in his or her hand should be positioned in the live hand;(9) The dealer shall reconcile the hands of the player's who have not folded. Starting with the player on the dealer's right, bring the player's hand into the work area between the dealer's hand and the aces up wager and reveal the player's cards. The dealer shall pay or take from the back forwards, reconciling the play wager first, the ante wager second, the aces up wager third, and the optional progressive wager last;(10) Playing against the dealer-ante wager. The object when playing against the dealer is to beat the dealer's four-card poker hand with your own four-card poker hand. The dealer always qualifies. player's place an ante wager. After looking at their hand, player's may fold, or, if the player believes that the player's hand is high enough to beat the dealer's hand, the player shall make the play wager. This wager must be from one to three times the ante wager. The player wins ties. Certain player hands receive an automatic bonus. These payouts are made against the ante wager according to odds set forth on the four-card poker layout and posted table limits; (11) Playing versus pay table - aces up. The object of betting aces up wager is to receive a pair of aces or better. If the player's hand contains a pair of aces or better, the player wins the aces up wager. player's receive aces up payout regardless of the dealer's hand;(12) Playing both - aces up and ante. If a player bets both the aces up and the ante (including play), the player is playing against two separate pay tables with two different criteria for payouts. In playing the ante wager, the object is to get a four-card poker hand that beats the dealer's best four-card hand. In playing the aces up wager, the object is to receive a pair of aces or better. The ante and aces up wagers do not have to be the same amount. player's receive the aces up payouts regardless of the dealer's hand. player's can wager anywhere from the table minimum to the maximum allowed bet on either or both the ante wager or the aces up wager. However, the play wager must be from one to three times the ante;(13) Playing against pay table -- progressive. The object of betting the progressive wager is to receive a three of a kind or better based on all five cards dealt to the player, not just the player's four card hand that is in play. If the player's hand contains a three of a kind or better, the player wins the progressive wager as detailed in the pay schedule listed in subdivision (15); (14) Incorrect number of cards in player's or dealer's hands. If any player or dealer is dealt an incorrect number of cards, all hands are void and the cards reshuffled;(15) The retail licensee may offer the game using any one of the following seven pairs of pay schedules, which shall be displayed on a table layout or on signage at the table: FCP-01 | FCP-02 | FCP-03 |
Automatic Bonus | Aces Up | Automatic Bonus | Aces Up | Automatic Bonus | Aces Up |
Four of a Kind | 25 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
Straight Flush | 20 to 1 | 40 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 40 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 30 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 2 to 1 | 9 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 7 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 9 to 1 |
Flush | 6 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 6 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
Two Pair | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
Pair of Aces | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
FCP-04 | FCP-05 | FCP-06 |
Automatic Bonus | Aces Up | Automatic Bonus | Aces Up | Automatic Bonus | Aces Up |
Four of a Kind | 25 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
Straight Flush | 20 to 1 | 30 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 40 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 40 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 2 to 1 | 7 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 8 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 8 to 1 |
Flush | 6 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 6 to 1 |
Straight | 5 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
Two Pair | 2 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
Pair of Aces | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
FCP-07 |
Automatic Bonus | Aces Up |
Four of a Kind | 25 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
Straight Flush | 20 to 1 | 40 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 2 to 1 | 7 to 1 |
Flush | 5 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 |
Two Pair | 3 to 1 |
Pair of Aces | 1 to 1 |
and
(16) If the four card poker progressive bet is offered and a player has bet on the optional progressive wager and the player's hand contains a royal flush the player wins, regardless of the dealer's hand. If the player's hand contains less than a three of a kind the player loses. The player is paid according to the following payment schedule, which shall be displayed on a table placard or video progressive sign: FCPP-1 | FCCP-2 | FCCP-3 |
Hand | Pays | Envy | Pays | Envy | Pays | Envy |
Four Aces | 100% | $100 | 100% | $100 | 100% | $100 |
Four of a Kind | 300 for 1 | $10 | 300 for 1 | $25 | 300 for 1 | $25 |
Straight Flush | 100 for 1 | $5 | 100 for 1 | - | 100 for 1 | - |
Three of a Kind | 9 for 1 | - | 15 for 1 | - | 15 for 1 | - |
Same paytable as "Pays 2" but with 5% reserve | |
Progressive Payment Schedule |
PMG-01 | PMG-02 |
$1 Wager amount | $5 Wager amount |
Hand | Pays | Envy | Pays | Envy |
Royal Flush | 100% | $1,000 | 100% | $5,000 |
Straight Flush | 10% | $300 | 10% | $1,500 |
4 of a Kind | 300 for 1 | 300 for 1 |
Full House | 50 for 1 | 50 for 1 |
Flush | 40 for 1 | 40 for 1 |
Straight | 30 for 1 | 30 for 1 |
Three of a Kind | 9 for 1 | 9 for 1 |
The original progressive wager may not be returned to the player. The envy and seed amounts adjust up or down accordingly with changes made to the wager amount;
(a) Progressive winners: i. The percentage pays are paid from the progressive jackpot shown on the progressive meter;ii. Other hands are paid from the tray; these payments do not come off the meter;iii. If a player has a progressive winner, the dealer shall press the appropriate button on the keypad. If the button is pressed by accident, the dealer shall press the button again to turn it off; iv. If there is a progressive winner, the dealer shall contact a supervisor; the supervisor will verify the hands, if any, which qualify for a progressive jackpot payout; v. In the event that more than one progressive hand payable from the progressive meter hits at the same table during the same time, house procedures are then followed for paying the prize; vi. After keying in the progressive winner, the meter may be reduced, depending on the winning hand. Keying a 100% award will reset the meter to the seed amount, plus any reserve amount. The dealer will continue handling progressive awards in a counter-clockwise fashion; vii. After the dealer reconciles all action, the dealer shall press the appropriate button on the keypad. This action shall reset the system to begin the next hand; and viii. The prize shall be logged into game manager. If the progressive pay needs to be backed out at this point, the award shall be manually backed out using the game manager manual adjustment feature; and (b) An envy bonus shall be paid as follows: i. A player making the progressive side wager also qualifies to win an envy payout. If another player at the table has a royal or straight flush, each player who made the progressive side bet wins the envy payout. A player that has a royal or straight flush and has not made the progressive side bet only receives the normal prize pay and does not receive any envy pay; ii. If a player's hand triggers any envy payout, the dealer shall leave that player's hand face-up on the table until all payments are made; and iii. The dealer shall pay an envy payout at the end of the round. If more than one player is involved in a qualifying envy payout, each player wins a multiple envy payout.S.D. Admin. R. 20:18:16:15.10
31 SDR 165, effective 5/10/2005; 32 SDR 128, effective January 30, 200; 37 SDR 131, effective 1/10/2011; 38 SDR 101, effective 12/5/2011; 41 SDR187, effective 5/13/2015.General Authority: SDCL 42-7B-4(18), 42-7B-7.
Law Implemented: SDCL 42-7B-4(18), 42-7B-7, 42-7B-15.
Maximum amount of bets, SDCL; Table stakes, § 20:18:16:21; Exposing hand, § 20:18:16:31.01.