Champion Poker

I just noticed this game at the D today. Here are the rules.

1. Player makes equal Ante and Match Bonus wagers.
2. Two cards are dealt to player and dealer.
3. Player must fold or make a Play wager equal to the Ante.
4. The flop is dealt (three community cards).
5. Player must check, bet 1x Ante, or bet 2x Ante.
6. Dealer will expose two more community cards the the Dealer cards.
7. The bets 7-card hand will win.
8. The rule card doesn't say, but I assume the Ante bet pays even money if it wins. The Ante Match pay table is below. The rule card doesn't say if the player must beat the dealer as well.
9. Finally, there is also a Bonus 7 side bet. The pay table is below. Again, I don't know if the player must also beat the dealer to be paid.

Ante Match pay table

Royal flush: 50 to 1
Straight flush: 25 to 1
Four of a kind: 15 to 1
Full house: 5 to 1
Flush: 3 to 1
Straight: 2 to 1
Three of a kind: 1 to 1

Bonus 7

Royal flush: 100 to 1
Straight flush: 40 to 1
Four of a kind: 30 to 1
Full house: 8 to 1
Flush: 7 to 1
Straight: 4 to 1
Three of a kind: 3 to 1

The question for the poll is would you play Champion Poker?

Seems exceedingly similar to UTH, but with a max of 3x the Ante (1 preflop and 2 post flop). So maybe a mix of UTH and THB since the betting is more spread out?

I would guess that you wouldn't fold very often, losing 2 units is quite expensive and for one more unit you get to stay in all the way.Any thoughts

Quote: Hunterhill

I would guess that you wouldn't fold very often, losing 2 units is quite expensive and for one more unit you get to stay in all the way.Any thoughts

I agree with this. Even if you have 7-2 off, the "worst" hand in poker... and you figure the dealer has AK, which on average they will NOT have, you're still only a 2-1 dog (67% vs 33%).

Quote: Romes

Seems exceedingly similar to UTH...

I was thinking the same thing. I don't play that either, so, pass.

Also comparing it with THB in which you almost never fold and in THB you only lose one unit folding.
So my guess is you never fold unless of course you have more information.

I played during my G2E trip at The D...this game is brutal and I was quickly through $100.

Unlike in UTH where you Blind Bet pushes when you win...you lose the Match Bonus bet on 85% of your hands (assuming you don't have to also beat the dealer to win it). I never received a trips or better hand, so it lost every time.

I have no idea what optimal strategy is, but I played every two card hand by making the Play wager. It didn't feel good having 3 units at risk having only seen your hole cards and knowing you would likely lose one of those three bets even if you beat the dealer.

I was unlucky in that I was out kicked on two hands where I had top pair and so did the dealer. I made the 1X raise prior to seeing the last two cards and promptly lost 4 units in each of those hands.

I got two or three hands where I never connected with the 3 card board, had three units in play and checked the river...I would have just folded these hands in UTH and lost 2 not 3 units. Even if I had beat the dealer on these hands, I would have lost the Match Bonus.

Bottom line is there is not reason to play this game over UTH. You are forced to commit bets earlier or fold and lose two units....you can check your two units in UTH to the river and then make a play/fold decision in UTH after seeing all your cards, counting the outs that will beat you. The killer is that you lose the Match Bonus bet on 85% of hands...is there another game that forces a bet that you lose more often?

I promptly took my 2nd $100 to the UTH table and won back $80 of the $100 dropped at Champion Poker...meh, will never play Champion Poker again because it offers nothing over UTH.