Rules and game course

A. General rules

1. WiderPoker is played with 52 French cards, without Jokers.
2. The aim of the game is to achieve the best Poker hand of 5 cards among the participating players, in order to win the prizes listed in the prize pool. Players' hands are sorted based on the same Hand Ranking used in Texas Hold'em Poker.
3. The game calls for at least two players.
4. In the game lobby there are several tables that differ in the participation cost (ante), game speed, prize pool composition and other parameters, as specified in the detailed information of each individual table.
5. The player is free to suspend or leave the game whenever he likes, by leaving the table or by pushing the "sit out" button on the game screen.
6. Every game (or "game event") is held on a single hand, split into three phases.

B. Game course

1. First phase
   • At the beginning of each hand the system automatically withdraws the ante for participation.
2. Second phase
   • After having shuffled the deck, 50 cards are arranged in 5 columns of 10 cards each in order to form the game board, which will be the same for all players (see Board).
   • Each player is given a different hand of 5 cards, which contains one random card for each board column (see initial combination).
   • To improve his starting hand, the player can change as many cards as desired. All the cards to be changed will be substituted with others belonging to the same columns (see change procedure).
   • The player can make his choice by selecting with a click the cards he wants to keep. The exact probabilities of achieving the different possible final hands for each selection will be shown on the PROBABILITY panel. Moreover the player, by activating the TIP buttons, can benefit of two hints on the best change strategy. All selected cards can be de-selected with a further click. In case the player does not make any choice, once the time of this second phase is over all his cards will be changed. Therefore, the player who wants to keep all his initial cards will have to select them all before the allowed time is over.
3. Third phase
   • After the cards have been changed, the Prize Pool is updated by adding the costs of participation (ante), the draws and redeals purchased by all players and by subtracting the possible portion destined to feeding the Jackpots and the rake. The players' ranking is calculated based on their respective hands ranking and the prize pool is distributed to the winners according to the distribution algorithm set for the table.

C. Strategy options

During the second phase of each game hand, the players have several strategy options available:

1. Buy multiple card draws (Multidraw option), to increase the chance of getting a good final hand.
2. Fold the starting hand they received and buy a new one (Redeal option).

C.1 Rules of the Multidraw option

In order to increase the chances of improving his initial hand, the player can buy further card draws up to a maximum of 5. Each draw following the first has a cost proportional to the ante and depending on the table. The sum of the cost of draws of all players will increase the Prize Pool. On the left of the board all the available draws will be shown, even those that have not been bought (amongst the possible 5). Draws are random and independent, they always substitute the discarded card but may result multiple times in the same final card for one or more columns.

C.2 Rules of the Redeal option

Through the "REDEAL" option players can buy a new initial hand, valid in the same game hand, and fold the hand they have received previously. The redeal price is shown in the REDEAL button. Based on the table settings, the following may vary:

• Price of each REDEAL
• Maximum number of REDEALS available in each game hand
• Time limit during each game hand for exercising the REDEAL option

D. Standard and special hands

Periodically the system proposes a "SPECIAL HAND", i.e. a game hand with some changes to the basic rules. A SPECIAL HAND may have changes in:

• Game hand duration
• Distribution of prize pool among the players
• Presence or absence of TIPS
• Presence or absence of the PROBABILITY PANEL
• Cost and number of available DRAWS
• Cost and number of available REDEALS

E. Power-ups

The system provides the following "POWER-UPS" to the players, linked to their current game session:

• Free DRAWS
• Free REDEALS

During the gaming session the power-up level increases, based on the number of hands played by the player and the number of DRAWS and REDEALS purchased. As the power-up level increases, it also increases the release speed of free DRAWS and free REDEALS.

Prize Pool Allocation

WiderPoker Cash is a game where the number of players can widely vary with each hand. For this reason, instead of applying a fixed allocation of prizes among the players, the system uses an algorithm which is dynamic and configurable per table to distribute increasing prizes among a fixed percentage of the participating players.

The prize pool and its distribution among players is calculated and shown on the game screen at the end of every hand.

You can use the simulator below to estimate your winning expectations or to better understand the prize allocation algorithm.

Rake

The "Rake" is defined as the total percentage of the pot that the house (i.e. the gaming platform) keeps as a fee at every game (i.e. at every hand). This rule also applies if the player is playing with virtual money ("for fun" mode), in order to make the game experience more real.

Inside the Game Lobby the player can get information on the cost of the ante and on the rake percentage set for each table.

If the operator decides to change the rake for a table, the players can end the running game event at the previous rake percentage. Then the table will be restarted and the players will be in the Game Lobby, where they can see the new conditions applied to the table before returning to play there.

The total prize pool shown on the table is already net of the rake and therefore it corresponds to the real value of the Prize Pool available to the players.

The calculated rake is always rounded down to the second decimal digit.

Jackpots

WiderPoker tables may feature one or more Jackpots as a supplement to the base game. The presence of Jackpots on a table is indicated in the game lobby with an identifying icon.

WiderPoker has two types of Jackpots: the ROYAL JACKPOT and the SPIN JACKPOTS.

1. The ROYAL JACKPOT is a progressive Jackpot that can be obtained by achieving a goal, specifically it is necessary to achieve a Royal Flush.

   • The player who achieves a Royal Flush receives as a prize the entire amount of the ROYAL JACKPOT.
   • In the case of two or more players simultaneously achieving a Royal Flush, the amount of the ROYAL JACKPOT is divided equally among them.

2. The SPIN JACKPOTS are progressive Jackpots awarded through a random draw carried out at the beginning of the game. There are three SPIN JACKPOTS, Gold, Silver and Bronze, and they differ in probability of being drawn.

   • The probability of a Gold Jackpot being drawn is 1 in 6000 hands.
   • The probability of a Silver Jackpot being drawn is 1 in 300 hands.
   • The probability of a Bronze Jackpot being drawn is 1 in 30 hands.
   • When a SPIN JACKPOT is drawn, its amount increases the prize pool of the current hand.
   • The prize pools increased by the SPIN JACKPOTS are distributed at the end of the game hand based on the prize pool distribution of the hand.
   • The game hands in which a SPIN JACKPOT is drawn have some changes to the basic rules, similarly to what happens for the SPECIAL HANDS.

Notes

1. Prize Pool and Rake:
   • The total Prize Pool amount and the Rake are always visible in the game screen.
   • The Rake percentage is fixed for each table and can be set up to a maximum value of 10%. Therefore, net of any portion set aside to feed the Jackpots, the Prize Pool available to players will never be less than 90% of the amount played.
2. Disconnection:
   • In the event of disconnection, the user needs to reconnect before the end of the hand to be able to change his game choices.
   • If the user doesn't manage to reconnect before the end of the hand, the game will proceed with the last choices received from the user.
   • If no setting was received from the user before disconnection, all the user's initial cards will be kept and no additional option will be bought (so the user will be charged only the initial participation ante).
   • The disconnected user will still be entitled to any winnings gained on the hand where he was disconnected.
   • The result of the hand in which the user was disconnected will be visible through the "Hand History" link in the game screen.
   • Before the beginning of each hand the system checks which users are connected to the table and removes any player found disconnected.
3. Malfunctions: in case of malfunction of the gaming system that prevents the successful completion of a game hand, the hand is canceled and the amounts wagered returned entirely to the players.
4. BOTS: usage of BOT players (i.e., programs that play independently and automatically from the user's interaction) is not allowed. Any player found to make use of BOTS will be suspended from the platform.

Further Information

Links to further information:

• Hand Ranking
• Glossary
• General features