He believes that taking the first 4 cards off the deck and in his view 'out of play' for the card side bet play, changes the odds on the MS stud part of the game. I claim that burning 4 cards does not change the odds of the 5 card bet at all because you still get 2 random cards to play with 3 random community cards.
There are many forms of casino poker available online. Mississippi Stud Poker is slightly different, with more strategy involved in the game play compared to similar games.
This game has four rounds of betting. Your initial ante bet, then three further rounds, where you get to choose your bet size. In addition, you can place a side bet based on the three community cards.
Mississippi Stud Poker is available online today in New Jersey for real money. Residents and non-residents can enjoy the game, the only rule being that you have to be within the state when you play. Look out for this game coming online in other states with online gambling regulation soon.
You’ll find everything you need to get started playing Mississippi Stud below. The game play and betting rounds are explained first below. This includes the pay table. You’ll also find information on the popular side bets below.
To start a hand of Mississippi Stud, you place an ante. In live casinos there is typically a $5 minimum for this game. Bets can be much smaller if you are playing online. When placing your ante, keep in mind that there are three more betting rounds, each with up to three units. This means your total outlay for a hand can be up to 10x your initial ante.
Having placed your ante bet, you’ll be dealt two cards, while three community cards are also dealt (these community cards will be face down at this stage).
Based on your initial two cards, you’ll now decide whether to fold, or to bet either 1x, 2x or 3x the ante.
If you decide to continue, the first of the community cards is turned over. Once again, you’ll now choose whether to fold or bet 1x, 2x or 3x the ante. If you continue, the second community card will be revealed – and you’ll get to choose whether to fold or bet (1x, 2x or 3x the ante).
If you’re still in the hand at this point, the final community card will be revealed. The final five card hand will now be compared to the pay table and if you have a hand of a pair of 6’s or better, you’ll get paid.
By dividing cards into high, medium and low – the strategy becomes simple. High cards are jacks or over (you bet paid for a pair of these). Medium cards are the ‘push cards’ 6 through 10, and low cards are 5 or under.
If you are dealt any pair 6+, you will bet three units on all streets. You have at least a push and can improve your hand as the community cards are revealed. For pairs or 2’s through 5’s you can bet three units initially. If you improve on the next card, you’ll win big – if not then betting a single unit on the remaining streets is optimal.
You bet a single unit on any hand with containing at least one high card or two medium cards. Suits are not relevant. Fold hands with one medium and one low, or two low cards. There is one exception to this – bet a single unit on 5-6 suited.
As the community cards are revealed, your strategy will adapt. Bet three units any time you make a pair of 6’s+. Continue betting single units as more high cards or push cards are revealed. If you have a draw to a straight or a flush before the last community card is dealt, bet 3 units. You’ll fold single high cards with a low, or two medium cards if the first community card is a low.
As well as the standard game you can also place a side bet – the ‘3 Card Bonus Bet’. This side bet is based on the hand strength of the three community cards. The side bet is completely optional and plays out independently of the main game. Even if you fold before the community cards are revealed in the main game. You can only play the bonus bet if you bet in the main game.
In some live casinos there is an optional 6 card bonus. This is based on your hand in combination with an additional 4 cards revealed after the main hand is over. Progressive jackpots can be paid for 6 card ‘Super Royal’ hands in some casinos.
SG Digital’s version of the game in New Jersey has table limits that range between just $0.10 and $50, and these apply to both the ante and the side bet. The chip denominations are at the bottom of the screen and you can scroll from left to right to move through them. With your chip value selected (an arrow points to the selected chip denomination) you’ll simply click on the ‘Ante’ section of the betting area to place that bet. Click again on the ‘3 Card Bonus’ section to place the side bet.
When your betting is finished, hit ‘Deal’ and the five cards are dealt, with the 3 community cards face down. You can now choose whether to bet 1x, 2x or 3x the ante, as well as fold. Your final option is ‘Max Bet All’, which will automatically enable you to place the maximum bet on all three rounds of betting (this would be a good option if you are dealt a high pair, such as Kings, with your initial 2 cards).
The game has a crisp and clear lay out, with all of the pay outs displayed clearly on the felt.
The house edge at Mississippi Stud Poker is relatively low for casino games, at just 1.37%. This edge applies when you play with the optimum strategy. Keep in mind that playing optimally in this game is far more difficult than in other casino poker variations which only have a single play / fold decision point.
One thing to bear in mind when playing is that you should never use the 2x the ante betting option – always use either the 1x or the 3x options.
The side bet has a slightly higher edge for the house at 2.14%.
Mississippi Stud Poker is an enjoyable and engaging game from SG Digital. The strategy in this game comes from the bet sizing and whether to fold or not, as you’ll have no control over the cards (you can’t discard any cards and receive new ones).
Enjoy Mississippi Stud Poker online in New Jersey today. You can also find this game in live casinos around the country.