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. The twist? 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. Of course, 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 now 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.

After 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. These bets are paid out according to the following pay chart:

Royal Flush: 100-1
Straight Flush: 50-1
Four of a Kind: 10-1
Full House: 3-1
Other: 1-1

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:

Royal Flush: 10,000-1
Straight Flush: 1,000-1
Four of a Kind: 200-1
Full House: 100-1
Flush: 50-1
Straight: 30-1
Three of a Kind: 10-1
Two Pair: 5-1

Mulligan Poker Tips

• The house edge in Mulligan Poker is about 3.15%. In order to play the optimal strategy, the player should take a mulligan about 45% of the time.
• The optimal strategy for Mulligan Poker is actually quite simple. If the player has AK954 or better, they should stand; with AK953 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% on this bet.