Ultimate Texas Hold'em Calculator
Enter your two cards. The calculator looks up the exact solution for your starting hand: whether to raise 4x or check before the flop, what each choice is worth, and how often a checked hand ends up raising 2x on the flop. The chart below shows all 169 starting hands.
Two cards such as Ah 9d: rank (2-9, T, J, Q, K, A) then suit (s, h, d, c). Or click a hand in the chart.
Your hand: A9o (offsuit)
- Better play before the flop
- Raise 4x
- Expected result if you raise 4x
- +0.67
- Expected result if you check
- +0.25
- Average total wager with best play: 6.00 antes
All 169 starting hands
Pairs on the diagonal, suited hands above it, offsuit hands below. Click a hand to see its numbers.
Raise 4x Check
House edge with best play
- 2.185% of the Ante
- 0.526% of the average total wager
Rules used: Ante equals Blind, the dealer qualifies with a pair or better (otherwise the Ante pushes), the Play bet always resolves, and the Blind pays only when you win (royal flush 500:1, straight flush 50:1, four of a kind 10:1, full house 3:1, flush 3:2, straight 1:1, lower hands push). Casinos vary, always check the table rules. Results are in ante units: a negative number is a long-run loss. Raising 3x is never the best play, so it is not shown.
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How the numbers are computed
Ultimate Texas Hold'em is dealt like Hold'em against the dealer. You put in an Ante and a Blind, then choose between raising 4x or 3x before the flop, 2x after the flop, or 1x after the river, or checking until the next street. A fold is possible only on the river, and it loses the Ante and Blind.
The numbers come from an exact solver, not a simulation. For each of the 169 starting-hand classes it goes through all 2,118,760 possible boards and all 990 dealer hands, then works backwards: the best choice on the river, then on the flop, then before the flop. The result is the exact expected value of raising 4x and of checking, both followed by best play.
Averaged over all hands, best play gives a house edge of 2.185% of the Ante, or about 0.53% of the money actually wagered (4.15 antes on average). That matches the published figure for this game. About 37.7% of starting hands should be raised 4x; raising 3x never beats both alternatives.
Worked example
A♥ K♦ is worth +1.17 antes if you raise 4x and +0.57 if you check, so raise. A♠ A♦ is worth +3.60 raised and +2.19 checked, the best hand in the game.
2♣ 2♦ is worth −0.18 if you check and −0.29 if you raise, so check. T♠ 9♠ is the surprise: checking gives +0.21 and raising +0.19, so check and see the flop. K♣ 5♦ loses either way, but raising loses less (−0.12 against −0.15), which is why the rule is K5 offsuit and better.
Questions and answers
When should I raise 4x in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
Raise 4x with any ace, any pair from 3-3 up, any king with a 5 or better offsuit or a 2 or better suited, queens with an 8 or better offsuit or a 6 or better suited, and J-T suited or offsuit, J-9 suited and J-8 suited. Check everything else. The chart above shows every hand.
What is the house edge?
2.185% of the Ante with best play, or about 0.53% of the money wagered. That is lower than most casino games, but the game still has a negative expected return.
Why is raising 3x never best?
In the exact solution the 4x raise is better than the 3x raise for every hand that deserves a raise, and checking is better for the rest. So the 3x option never wins.
Does the calculator cover the flop and river?
No. It gives the exact preflop decision and how often a checked hand raises 2x on the flop. Flop and river decisions depend on the cards on the board.
Related guides
Ultimate Texas Hold'em is a casino game with a negative expected return: no strategy beats the house in the long run. The calculator is an educational tool, not advice. Players must be 18 or older. Play only with money you can afford to lose: responsible gambling.