A bad beat jackpot is used in reference to a side pot, or occasionally a progressive pot that in the game of Poker is awarded to a player with a hand of great value, who is however beaten by another player with a much better hand. In some cardrooms, these are consolation prizes, which are divided among the winner, the second-placed player and the other players.
Players at Poker are free to pay into the bad beat jackpot during every round of play, and this is effectively operated like it’s a progressive jackpot. Alternatively, the jackpot can be funded from the cut of the Poker room and this is then paid out like a bonus of sorts.
All About Bad Beat Jackpot
In the game of Poker, a bad beat hand refers to a rather strong hand that in a showdown is conquered by a hand that’s somehow better than it. As an example, the end of a game could see a player holding onto a hand of 4 kings. This is, of course, a strong hand, but another player with a hand of 4 aces can show up and take the pot.
The term is normally used in reference to hold ’em games, which usually have shared community cards. This enables a couple of players to get very strong hands, with one barely able to defeat the other. A hand of 9-10-J-Q-K straight flush that is defeated by a royal flush is a typical example of bad beat scenario.
In some casinos, there are prizes given to players who manage to achieve a bad beat hand during a game. This bad beat jackpot is totally discretionary and can be a side bet that has a progressive pot that players can dip into if eligible, or merely a means of promotion designed to make a game more entertaining.
To activate this online jackpot, the player is required to have a bad beat hand that is above the limits set in a casino. King quads fit the bill, or even better hands if that can be managed.
In most cases, the bad beat player takes half the jackpot prize, with a quarter going to the pot winner. The remainder of the jackpot is given to the rest of the players who are present. This makes the bad beat jackpot unique for being among the few community prizes in Poker.