Rabbit Hunter
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About
This game was added at the request of my mother. We were sitting around talking about our favorite table games and she remembered how much fun we had had playing a game at the Little River Casino in Manistee, Michigan. This was a few years ago and she was lamenting how the game had disappeared.
Despite how hard we tried, we couldn't remember the name of the game; we thought it was called "Shoot the Rabbit". After a series of Google searches, I was able to determine the name of the game and was able to track down the rules.
I had always thought that the name of the game was a bit odd and while I was searching for the game, I came across a series of references to "rabbit hunting in poker". That term refers to the act of peaking at the cards that "would have been dealt" had there been a need for additional cards in a game.
Most of us often wonder if the card we needed to make our monster hand would have been the next card in the deck. In the rare cases where a Dealer may reveal those next cards, that is called "rabbit hunting". Hmm! Who knew?
Given how this game is played, the name is perfect. In Rabbit Hunter, both Player & Dealer receive five cards from which to make their best poker hand. However, for a non-refunable fee equal to her initial Ante, the Player has the option to buy a 6th card - The Rabbit! Then, the Player will make her best poker hand from six cards.
Rabbit Hunter also features one of my favorite bonus wagers: a "Two-Way Bad Beat". Regardless of who loses the hand, if the losing hand is a Pair of 10s or better, the optional Bad Beat wager pays 10:1!
How To Play
Rabbit Hunter is a poker-based game that is played "heads up" against the House. It was added to Riverboat Gambler in response to a request from my mother!
The game is played using a standard 52-card deck. In Rabbit Hunter, both Player & Dealer receive five cards from which to make their best poker hand. However, for a non-refunable fee equal to her initial Ante, the Player has the option to buy a 6th card - The Rabbit! Then, the Player will make her best poker hand from six cards.
To start a hand, the Player must place an Ante wager. This wager may be between the minimum of $5 and the maximum of $500. Additionally, the Player may place optional wagers for the "Bonus"" and "Bad Beat Bonus".
The amount of the optional Bonus wager must match the Ante wager. The optional Bad Beat wager may be between the minimum of $5 and the maximum of $100.
Wagers are placed by tapping on wager spots on the table. For all wagers, once the maximum, allowable amount has been reached, an additional tap will reset the wager amount to zero. A wager can also be reset by pressing a spot and holding for a brief moment.
Once all wagers have been placed, the Player will press the Deal button and play will begin. When the Deal button has been pressed, both the Dealer and Player will receive their own five cards.
Acting After the Deal
After the Player has reviewed her cards, she will need to decide to Play the hand, Fold the hand, or buy an optional 6th card and Play the hand. If the Player opts to Fold the hand, the game ends and all wagers, including the optional bonus wagers, are forfeited.
If the Player decides to stay in the hand using her initial five cards, she will place a Play wager that is equal to her initial Ante wager. At this point, the hand will end, the Dealer cards will be exposed, and a winner will be determined.
If the Player feels her hand could be improved with a 6th card, she has the option to buy another card before ending the hand. The cost of the 6th card is the amount of the initial Ante wager. This fee is paid to the house and is not refundable nor is it considered to be "in play" for payout purposes.
To purchase the extra card ("The Rabbit"), the Player will tap the "Buy & Play" button. At this point, the required fee will be collected, a "Play" wager equal to the original Ante will be placed, a 6th card will be dealt to the Player, the hand will end, the Dealer cards will be exposed, and a winner will be determined.
Declaring the Winner
In Rabbit Hunter, the Dealer’s hand must rank at least as "Ace High". If the Dealer's hand ranks lower than this, the Dealer has not "qualified"" and the Player’s Ante will be refunded before the hands are read.
If the Player’s hand ranks higher than does the Dealer’s hand, the Player wins the hand and will be paid in accordance with the pay table that can be found in these instructions or by tapping the logo on the game board.
If both Player and Dealer have the same ranked hand, the hands are considered a Push and the Ante & Play wagers will be refunded.
If the Player hand ranks lower than the Dealer’s hand, the Player will lose the Ante and Play wagers.
Wins from any optional bonus wagers will still be paid when the Player loses the round or the hands push as a result of a tie.
Bonus
The Bonus is an optional wager that must match the Ante wager. This optional wager starts paying for hands that contain a pair of 10s or higher. Refer to the payout table for actual odds. Unlike many other table games, if the Player folds the hand, this wager is forfeit.
2-Way Bad Beat
The Two Way Bad Beat Bonus wager is an optional wager that is paid when either the Dealer or the Player have a hand that contains a Pair of 10s or higher and they do not win the round because their opponent has a higher hand. When this happens, the Bad Beat wager is paid at 10:1. This wager may be between the minimum of $5 and the maximum of $100
Quick Replay
After the hand has ended, if the Player presses the Deal button, the same Bets will be placed and new cards will be dealt. If the Player does not want to repeat the last wager, play will resume after new wagers have been made and the Deal button has been pressed.
Pay Table
Ante & Play Wager | |
(Dealer Must Qualify for Ante Wager) | |
| Beat the Dealer | 1 to 1 |
Bonus | |
| Royal Flush | 500 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 100 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 30 to 1 |
| Flush | 9 to 1 |
| Straight | 7 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 5 to 1 |
| Two Pairs | 2 to 1 |
| Pair of 10s or Higher | 1 to 1 |
| All Other Hands | Lose |
Bad Beat Bonus | ||
(2-Way Based on Losing Hand) | ||
| Pair of 10s or Higher | 10 to 1 | |
| Maximum Payout: $50,000 | ||