Poker

Bad beat jackpot rules

Qualifying losing hand

Typically four of a kind or better¹

Funding

Jackpot pool built from extra rake or deductions, e.g. $1 per pot with six or more players dealt in²

Payout split

Largest share to the losing hand, then the winning hand, then other players at the table¹

Key points

• Requirements vary by casino; no single standard set of figures exists.¹
• In Texas hold’em, both hole cards may be required to play in both the losing and winning hands.¹
• Only the best qualifying losing hand is generally eligible for the top share.¹

Not the same as

• Bad beat poker jackpot — the same concept in ordinary usage, but can refer to the payout event rather than the qualification and payout rules

Related terms

Sources

1. Bad beat en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition, qualifying hand examples, payout structure, and the note that requirements vary.
2. Casino Helsinki en.wikipedia.org Supports the funding example of $1 per pot with six or more players dealt in.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.