Fans of Texas Hold’Em who are seeking a bit of a twist on the classic game will enjoy the opportunity found while playing “Wraparound.” This variation is a pot-limit style Texas Hold’Em game but with a few modifications.
If you are unfamiliar with Texas Hold’em in general, this strategy will review some of the principles around that game as well. As such, it would be beneficial if you knew how to play that game first, but the two are very similar.
Wraparound Poker Strategy Quick Tips
Before playing Wraparound poker, it would be best to have a strategy in mind to have the best possible success at winning more often. This way, you can practice it and come up with a strategy that best fits your style.
As you add to your strategy, you will see what to add or take away. However, the most important advice is to keep an eye on your bankroll, and remember the hand strength order.
The Rules
This game follows along just like Texas Hold’Em. All players will place their initial ante, and the dealer will hand out two cards face down to everyone.
Wraparound is also a pot-limit game, which means there is a slight change in how bets are made. For instance, the max bet will be equal to the pot size before and immediately after the flop. The max bet will then be two times the pot size for all bets made after the turn and river card.
After everyone is dealt two hold cards, a betting round will begin. Then, the dealer will burn a card and flip over three in the middle of the table.
Next, a betting round will take place. Then it is followed by another card being burned and the dealer flipping one card in the middle.
One more betting round here, then it is the fifth and final community card after the dealer burns one. Then, the final betting round before the showdown.
Another twist to this game is the Aces. Aces can be high and low. In this case, they can be used to make what are called high straights, low straights, or even “wraparound” straights (which is how the game gets its name).
A wraparound straight involving aces can look something like this:
- 10-J-Q-K-A
- J-Q-K-A-2
- Q-K-A-2-3
- K-A-2-3-4
- A-2-3-4-5
As you can see, this changes the dynamics of how strong a hand is, to some degree. Instead of just a simple straight, there are even more possibilities to having a straight.
Once players make it to the showdown, whoever has the best five-card hand wins the pot. The strength of a straight will need to be determined if multiple players have straights at a showdown.
Best Hands
When looking at the way Texas Hold’em is played, you will see that it simply follows the card hand ranking system. So royal flush is the best while a high card is the worst for hand strength.
In this variation, the wraparound straights have been added to provide a better entry to play for the pot. The aces are now your best friend when trying to create a straight, so do not be afraid to go for one, if the cards are there.
Bankroll
Since this game uses a pot limit, it can significantly preserve your bankroll but can also limit your winnings. However, if bets steadily climb and the pot increases, you might get stuck having to bet twice the pot amount if someone calls or bets this and you want to stay in the game.
The best thing to do is keep an eye on your money and measure your hand’s strength realistically. Self-awareness is one of the most useful skills a poker player can develop.
Good luck, and have fun playing Wraparound!