# Crazy 4 Poker Rules: A Hand from Start to Finish

> Learn Crazy 4 Poker rules, the Super Bonus pay table, dealer qualification and why optimal play has an expected loss of 3.42% of the ante.

- Source: https://toolsgambling.com/blog/crazy-4-poker-rules
- Publisher: ToolsGambling
- Published: 2026-10-26
- Updated: 2026-10-26
- Cite as: "Crazy 4 Poker Rules: Hand Rankings, Bets and House Edge", ToolsGambling, https://toolsgambling.com/blog/crazy-4-poker-rules

## What is Crazy 4 Poker?

Crazy 4 Poker is a casino poker game played against the dealer: each side gets five cards, the player plays the best four-card hand, and with optimal play the expected loss on all of the player's bets is 3.42% of the Ante.

Invented by Roger Snow and marketed by Shuffle Master, the game has been around since about 2004, according to Wizard of Odds. You choose the best four of five cards rather than building a conventional five-card poker hand.

Hand strength and bet settlement are separate matters. Your cards determine whether Super Bonus earns a pay table payout, while the ante and Play wager also depend on whether the dealer qualifies.

## Why read this guide?

This guide explains the hand order and the cost of the required bets before you sit down. Knowing the rankings is only part of understanding the game: you also need to know when a bet wins, loses or results in a push.

Our enumeration found a straight or better in 10.69% of the player’s five-card hands, and all six winning Super Bonus rows matched the Wizard of Odds table. The overall expected loss depends on the casino’s pay table, however. Four cards have no full house and no separate royal flush rank: A-K-Q-J suited is simply a straight flush.

The practical takeaway is to check the payouts as well as the game’s name. A familiar poker hand does not necessarily mean a familiar payout or cost.

## How a hand plays out

You begin with equal ante and Super Bonus wagers, receive five cards, then either fold or add a Play wager. Queens Up is an optional side bet placed before the deal.

1. **Place equal amounts on ante and Super Bonus.** Both are required to enter the main game. You can leave Queens Up unbet.
2. **Receive five cards and identify your best four-card hand.** The unused card does not count toward your final hand.
3. **Choose whether to fold or continue.** Folding loses both the ante and Super Bonus. To continue, place a Play wager.
4. **Use the permitted Play amount.** Play equals the ante unless you have a pair of aces or better, when you may raise up to three times the ante.
5. **The dealer reveals the best four of five cards.** The dealer qualifies with king-high or better.
6. **The bets are settled.** Ante and Play follow the dealer qualification and comparison rules; Super Bonus follows its separate rules below.

If the dealer does not qualify, Play pays 1 to 1 and the ante is a push: it is returned without a profit. No hand comparison is needed to settle those two bets in that situation.

If the dealer qualifies, a higher player hand wins 1 to 1 on both ante and Play. A lower player hand loses both bets. If the hands tie, both bets push.

The dealer qualification rule appears in the [Washington State Gambling Commission rules](https://wsgc.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-11/Crazy%204%20Poker%205-4-22%20Add%20Cover%20All_0.pdf). The Super Bonus push when the dealer does not qualify and the player holds less than a straight is Wizard of Odds’ reading; the regulator’s rules do not state it directly.

The fold-or-continue decision also appears in other casino poker games. The [3 Shot Poker rules](https://toolsgambling.com/blog/3-shot-poker-rules-strategy) describe the same one-decision format, but its wager sizes do not carry over to Crazy 4 Poker.

![Study diagram: the Crazy 4 Poker hand order — Ante and Super Bonus bets, Play or fold, dealer qualifying, settlement](https://toolsgambling.com/media/article/2026/10/14995fa5d69e341dcfcdb3aebb5a8f62.webp)
*Study diagram: hand order under Washington State rules and the Wizard of Odds description. Not a casino interface.*

## Four-card hand ranking

Four of a kind is the strongest hand, followed by straight flush, three of a kind, flush, straight, two pair, pair and high card. Use this order rather than the familiar five-card poker rankings.

From strongest to weakest:

- **Four of a kind:** four cards of the same rank.
- **Straight flush:** four consecutive cards of the same suit.
- **Three of a kind:** three cards of the same rank.
- **Flush:** four cards of the same suit.
- **Straight:** four consecutive cards.
- **Two pair:** two cards of one rank and two of another.
- **Pair:** two cards of the same rank.
- **High card:** a hand without any of the combinations above.

An ace is high except in the 4–3–2–Ace sequence. A four-card straight counts as a straight, and a four-card flush counts as a flush: neither needs a fifth card. Always evaluate your best four cards, not all five together.

## Super Bonus pay table

Super Bonus pays on a straight or better if you continue with a Play wager, regardless of whether your hand beats the dealer. The calculation in this guide uses this pay table:

| Hand | Payout |
|---|---:|
| Four aces | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a kind, 2s through kings | 30 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 15 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 2 to 1 |
| Flush | 1.5 to 1 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 |

These payouts express net winnings relative to the wager; the winning stake is also returned. Only the applicable row pays—do not add the rows together.

With less than a straight, Super Bonus pushes if the dealer does not qualify or if your hand beats or ties the dealer. It loses when you have less than a straight and lose to a qualifying dealer.

Failing to make a straight therefore does not automatically lose Super Bonus. Likewise, a push on the ante does not mean every other wager pushes.

Other casino poker games also publish their own paytables; compare the [Cajun Stud Poker paytable](https://toolsgambling.com/blog/cajun-stud-poker).

## How to count the expected loss

Under the pay table above and optimal play, the combined expected value (EV) of ante, Super Bonus and Play is −0.034189 in ante units. Rounded to two decimal places as a percentage, that is a house edge of 3.42% of the ante—not 3.42% of all money wagered.

The [Wizard of Odds tables and calculation](https://wizardofodds.com/games/crazy-4-poker/), updated August 3, 2026, give these returns:

| Bet | Expected result in ante units |
|---|---:|
| Ante | −0.171298 |
| Super Bonus | −0.347795 |
| Play | +0.484904 |
| Total | −0.034189 |

The positive Play return does not make the game profitable. Play is available only alongside the required initial wagers, so its return must be considered together with their losses.

Our calculation checks the winning side of Super Bonus. Enumerating all 2,598,960 five-card hands found a straight or better in 10.69% of hands. All six winning rows matched the Wizard of Odds table, contributing +0.172763 per unit of Super Bonus. That is not its full return: including losses from the Wizard of Odds table gives −0.347795. Checking those payouts is not proof of the game’s rules.

For a short example, under this pay table and optimal play, the expected loss across all three bets is 3.42 per 100 units of ante. This is rounded, excludes Queens Up and describes a long-run average rather than a session forecast. For the general method, see the [house edge calculator](https://toolsgambling.com/casino/house-edge-calculator).

The Super Bonus pay table is the assumption with the greatest effect on this result. The calculation gives the following changes to its winning contribution per unit wagered:

| Payout change | New winning contribution | Change in contribution |
|---|---:|---:|
| Four aces: 100 instead of 200 | +0.170916 | −0.001847 |
| Straight: 0.5 instead of 1 | +0.153177 | −0.019586 |
| Three of a kind: 3 instead of 2 | +0.195332 | +0.022569 |

These are changes to the winning side of Super Bonus, not complete house-edge figures for the altered rules.

## Strategy without a table

Use the simplified strategy: raise to three times the ante with a pair of aces or better; otherwise, make a Play wager equal to the ante with K-Q-8-4 or higher, and fold weaker hands.

Apply the decisions in this order:

- First check for a pair of aces or a stronger hand. That calls for the maximum raise.
- If you do not have one, compare your best four-card hand with K-Q-8-4.
- Continue with the small raise if your hand meets that threshold; otherwise fold.

Wizard of Odds reports a house-edge difference of 0.000089% between this simplified strategy and optimal play. That gap is negligible for practical decisions, but the strategy does not eliminate the expected loss or promise profit.

## Queens Up

Queens Up is an optional side bet that wins with a pair of queens or better. It has its own pay table, separate from Super Bonus.

Wizard of Odds lists four Queens Up pay tables and reports that most Las Vegas casinos use pay table 4. Check which one applies at the specific casino rather than assuming that version is in use.

Queens Up is outside the main-game calculation above. Its cost needs a separate assessment using its payouts—the same principle explained in the guide to the [21+3 side bet and its pay tables](https://toolsgambling.com/blog/21-plus-3-blackjack-side-bet).

## Crazy 4 Poker and Four Card Poker

The main differences are the dealer’s card count, dealer qualification and the additional bets. The published rules for the two games distinguish them as follows:

| Rule | Crazy 4 Poker | Four Card Poker |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer’s cards | Five; keeps the best four | Six; keeps the best four |
| Dealer qualification | King-high or better | No qualifying hand |
| Play wager | Equal to the ante; up to three times the ante with a pair of aces or better | Up to three times the ante |
| Additional bets | Required Super Bonus; optional Queens Up | Aces Up |

The similar names do not make the games interchangeable. In particular, Crazy 4 Poker’s rule for a dealer who does not qualify has no equivalent in Four Card Poker.

## Limits and common mistakes

Check the rules and pay table displayed at your table: versions differ between casinos and states, and the Washington regulator has approved several pay table versions.

Before betting, confirm the game’s name, Super Bonus payouts, Queens Up terms and permitted Play amount. If the table labels differ from what you expected, ask which wager each label refers to before placing chips.

There are no community cards. You form your hand only from your own five cards, so habits from community-card poker can lead to mistakes. Also, winning one wager does not necessarily mean winning the hand overall after all bets are settled.

Treat bets as an expense, not an investment. Set a session budget in advance; the [poker bankroll management guide](https://toolsgambling.com/blog/bankroll-management-poker) covers practical spending limits. Correct decisions do not remove the game’s negative expected value.

## FAQ

### Do I have to bet on Queens Up?

No. The ante and Super Bonus are required for the main game, but Queens Up is optional. The 3.42% calculation excludes it.

### Is my ante returned if the dealer does not qualify?

Yes. The ante is a push. If you continued with a Play wager, Play pays 1 to 1, while Super Bonus is settled under its own rules.

### Can I always make a Play wager worth three times the ante?

No. That raise is allowed only with a pair of aces or better. With a weaker hand, continuing requires a Play wager equal to the ante.

### Does a 3.42% house edge mean I will lose that amount in a session?

No. It is the expected loss relative to the ante under the stated conditions, not a guaranteed result. An individual session can finish differently.