Lunar Poker Review and Free Play

Lunar Poker is a variety of Caribbean Stud Poker. The game provides the gamblers with a chance to win twice using the same 5-card hand. Once a gambler has two possible hands created by five cards, he gets a payout for both hands.

The game involves the standard 52-card deck. However, only one deck is used during each hand, and it is reshuffled before the beginning of a new hand. The player’s aim in this game is to create the best possible five-card poker hand according to the classic hierarchy of poker hand rankings.

Let’s take a look at the steps to play Lunar Poker:

1. The players place initial wagers: Ante and Super bets. Besides, they can place extra Super bets based on the dealer’s hand strength or Super bets based on another player’s hand.

2. The dealer hands out cards. Five cards are distributed face down to each gambler and to the dealer himself. For the dealer’s hand, the bottom card should be turned face up to provide the players with some information about the potential strength of the dealer’s hand.

3. The players examine their cards and inform others about any winning Super bets right away.

4. The players announce to the dealer whether their first five cards form a straight flush or a royal flush. If any player declares one, the dealer awards payouts.

5. All players still holding a live hand have to make their decisions. Depending on the relative strength of their card combinations, each player has four actions to select from: Fold, Play, Buy, or Exchange:

• Fold means that the gambler slides his five cards face down toward the dealer to surrender the hand. The gambler’s pending bets are claimed by the house.
• Play means the gambler places an additional Play wager that equals the double amount of his Ante bet.
• Buy means the player pays a fee that equals his Ante bet amount to draw the sixth card from the deck to get a chance to improve his hand.
• Exchange means the player pays a fee that equals his Ante bet amount. This payment entitles the gambler to discard between two and five of his cards while drawing replacements from the deck.

Every player who has chosen either to Buy or Exchange then examines his new cards before running to the same decision to Fold or Play.

6. When every player has made his decision, the dealer reveals their four hole cards and declares the value of the strongest hand. If the dealer’s hand qualifies for a Super bet payout, all players who placed a Super bet on the dealer’s hand receive their payouts.

7. The dealer compares his hand to each player’s hand and awards payouts to the winners. For this, the dealer has to produce a hand of A-K high or better. If he does hold a qualifying hand, gamblers with better hands have their Ante bets paid out at even money and their Play bets according to the paytable. If the dealer’s hand ties with the player’s hand, the player sees both the Ante bet and the Play bet returned as a push. If the dealer’s hand is stronger, the house claims both the gambler’s Ante bet and his Play bet.