Mulligan Poker
Mulligan Poker is a new casino table game that’s only available at online casinos. The idea is to make a better hand than the dealer after both players are dealt five cards.
But there is a twist…as both the player and the dealer have the option to take a mulligan and get an entirely new hand if they don’t like their original cards. For the player this option has to be paid for.
How to Play Mulligan Poker
The game starts with the player making an ante bet. There is also an optional side bet known as the bonus bet. Both the player and the dealer are given a five-card hand dealt from a standard 52-card deck.
The player can examine their hand and choose to either stand or take a mulligan. Taking the mulligan entitles the player to discard and receive a new five-card hand. However, in order to do this the player must make a raise bet of the same size as the ante bet. Also, taking the mulligan forfeits the bonus bet.
After the player has made their choice the dealer reveals his hand. If the dealer has ace-high or better, he will stand. If the dealer has king-high or lower, he will take a mulligan.
Once the dealer has his final hand the dealer and player hands are compared. If the dealer has a better hand, the player loses the ante and raise bets (if made). If the hands are equal, both bets push. If the player has the better hand, they win the ante bet, as well as the raise bet if they made it.
Pay Chart
These bets are paid out according to the following pay chart:
| Hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10 to 1 |
| Full House | 3 to 1 |
| Other | 1 to 1 |
Bonus Bet
There is also a bonus bet that pays based on the strength of the player’s hand. Remember that if the player takes a mulligan they forfeit their bonus bet. However, if the player keeps their original hand, and they have two pair or better, the bonus bet pays out as follows:
| Hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 10000 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 1000 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 200 to 1 |
| Full House | 100 to 1 |
| Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Straight | 30 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 10 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 5 to 1 |
Mulligan Poker Tips and Strategy
The house edge in Mulligan Poker is about 3.15 per cent. In order to play the optimal strategy the player should take a mulligan about 45 per cent of the time.
The optimal strategy for Mulligan Poker is actually quite simple. If the player has A-K-9-5-4 or better, they should stand. With A-K-9-5-3 or lower, the best play is to take the mulligan.
The house edge on the bonus bet is slightly higher, but still very good compared to most casino side games. The casino holds an advantage of 3.74 per cent on this bet.