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TIPS AND STRATEGIES

To win at Bermuda Poker, you have to play correctly, use proper strategy and manage your bankroll wisely.

Let's have a quiz and see how well you know the proper Bermuda Poker strategy.

Which of the following hands would you never make the "raise" bet?

  1. If you have A-K-10-4-2 (unsuited) with the dealer exposing an ace?
  2. If you have Q-J-7-2-2 with the dealer exposing a 10?
  3. If you have K-10-8-8-5 with the dealer exposing an 8?

If you answered letter "A", well done - you're wrong, and you're among the majority of players who thinks that Bermuda Poker is easy.

The correct answer is - each of these hands is of sufficient strength to warrant play. And while you may have known that you must play any pair, you lack the strategic knowledge necessary to fully compete at Bermuda Poker. In the not-so-long run, that fact will deplete your bankroll.

Compared to other games, Bermuda Poker is tough for the simple fact that casinos have a relatively high edge: 5.26% on the ante bets, which reduces to about 2.5% when the "raise" bets are taken into account. Of course these figures go right out the window unless the correct strategy is followed.

But before I discuss proper Bermuda Poker strategy, here are some of the common, and oftentimes, costly mistakes that average Bermuda Poker players make.


Common Bermuda Poker Mistakes

Folding on all pairs under 5
Since the "raise" bet is twice the amount of the ante, some players refuse to play low pairs. Too risky, they say. Statistically, however, 44% of all hands will not even contain a qualifying set; no pair, no ace-king, nothing. Another 6.08% of the time, the dealer will be holding an ace-king-x-x-x, (where x represents unpaired, non-suited, non-sequential cards.). The result: even the weakest pair will beat the dealer 50.08% of the time.

"Raise" on an Ace-King, but folding on a pair of twos
This method of playing is based on the misguided notion that if the player doesn't have a pair, then neither does the dealer. Flat out, it's a bad move. As I've already shown, a pair of twos will beat the dealer 50.08% of the time, while ace-king hands will fall within the range of 44% to 50.08%, depending on the strength of the remaining cards in the hand.

Playing Ace-Queen-X-X-X hands
Inexperienced players "raise" on this hand because under the right circumstances it can look powerful. For example, the hand A-Q-J-10-9 (unsuited) looks strong, but is in reality worthless. Since the only way this hand can win is for the dealer to have nothing, there is no good reason why this play should ever be made.

Bluffing
Some players routinely "bluff" the dealer, regardless of the strength of their hand. Since the dealer will have a qualifying hand 56% of the time, even a large bankroll cannot withstand the constant draw. Never try to bluff. Always fold when you hold nothing.

Now that you know what not to do, it's time to see exactly what you must do to get the edge down to the lowest amount. The following table lists the rules for making the "raise" bet.


Bermuda Poker Basic Strategy


YOUR HANDDEALER'S CARDSTRATEGY
pair 8's to A'sAny"Raise"
pair 7's7,6,5,4,3,2"Raise"
pair 6's6,5,4,3,2"Raise"
pair 5's5,4,3,2"Raise"
pair 4'sAny"Raise"
pair 3'sAny"Raise"
pair 2'sAny"Raise"
A-K-Q-J-XAny"Raise"
A-K-Q-X-XA-K-Q-X-XDependent on Dealer's exposed card
A-K-J-X-XA-K-J-X-XDependent on Dealer's exposed card
A-K-10-X-XA-K-10-X-XDependent on Dealer's exposed card

You can see that a pair of 8's, or higher, can win regardless of the dealer's exposed card. With a pair of 5's, 6's or 7's, however, the strength of your hand is directly related to the dealer's exposed card.

Since the dealer has a greater chance for exposing one of his paired cards (40% of the hand makes up the pair) you have a greater chance of winning when the dealer exposes a card of equal to, or of lesser value than, your pair. However, despite the dealer's exposed card, you must still make the "raise" bet on any pair.

The weakest playable hands are A-K-Q-X-X, A-K-J-X-X, and A-K-10-X-X. However, if you are dealt with these hands, you may make the "raise" bet only when the dealer's exposed card matches any card in your hand. Any other hand that you are dealt is considered garbage and should be folded.

You're now set with the optimal strategy for making the "raise" bets at Bermuda poker.

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