Crazy 4 Poker
CASINO POKER by ROGER SNOW (SHUFFLE MASTER, 2004) — heads-up 4-card poker with unique BET STRUCTURE: player receives 5 CARDS, picks best 4; may PLAY UP TO 3× ANTE (if hand is PAIR OF ACES OR BETTER) or JUST 1× (any hand). Dealer needs KING-HIGH or better to qualify. QUEENS-UP + SUPER BONUS side bets add jackpot potential. Faster + more player-favorable than Four Card Poker.
Quick facts
Category
Casino & Gambling
Type
Individual
Players
1–6
Duration
~3 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Designed 2004 by Roger Snow of Shuffle Master; follow-up to Four Card Poker (2003); commercial deployment 2005; widespread in Vegas + regional casinos.
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Beat DEALER'S 4-CARD hand using best 4 of 5 cards; hit bonus side-bets.
Rules
Basic rules
PLAYER places ANTE + SUPER BONUS (mandatory equal Ante) + OPTIONAL QUEENS-UP side-bet
Signature mandatory Super Bonus.
PLAYER receives 5 CARDS; picks best 4
Signature 4-of-5 selection.
DEALER receives 5 CARDS as well (SAME as player, not 6 like Four Card Poker)
Signature equal 5-card deal.
PLAYER decides: BET 1× PLAY (weak hand) OR up to 3× PLAY (if hand is Pair of Aces or better) OR FOLD
Signature 3x-Aces-Up cap or 1x cap.
DEALER QUALIFIES with KING-HIGH or better; if NOT qualified, Ante 1:1, Play pushes
Signature K-high qualify rule.
IF DEALER QUALIFIES: WIN Ante + Play 1:1; SUPER BONUS pays on player 3+ of Kind regardless of dealer win/loss
Signature Super Bonus separate.
QUEENS-UP side-bet PAYS on Pair Queens or better: 2:1, 4:1, 15:1, 40:1, 200:1 to Royal Flush
Signature Queens Up paytable.
Scoring
House edge ~3.42% on Ante+Play; Super Bonus is separate winning bet independent of hand-vs-hand outcome.
Win condition · Player 4-card hand > dealer 4-card hand.
Equipment
STANDARD 52-CARD DECK
Standard deck.
CRAZY 4 POKER table layout: ANTE + PLAY + SUPER BONUS + QUEENS-UP side-bets
Signature 4-circle layout.
STANDARD CASINO CHIPS
Standard chips.
Terminology
- Super Bonus
- Separate mandatory Ante-equal bet paying on player 3+ of Kind or better.
- Queens Up
- Optional side-bet on Pair Queens or better.
- K-high qualify
- Dealer needs King-high or better to fully play Ante.
- 3x Ante cap
- Max Play bet 3x Ante — only if player has Pair Aces or better.
Major competitions
No formal tournament; house-banked table only
n/a · Global casinos · since 2004
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Nevada Gaming Commission + regional regulators
Founded 1959 · Las Vegas, NV, USA
Scientific Games (game owner)
Founded 1994 · USA
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Roger Snow (US, designer, Shuffle Master)
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Crazy 4 Poker— Wikipedia
- Wizard of Odds — Crazy 4 Poker— Wizard of Odds