3 Card Poker Rules

Three Card Poker is becoming a very popular table game. Poker enthusiasts realize that it’s really not difficult to play and is usually very entertaining.

We play Three Card Poker with a total of 52 cards. Three Card Poker combines two games in one. We differentiate the Play/Ante bet (where the player takes on the dealer to determine which of them has the strongest hand) poker with the three-card hands. Pair Plus is where you place a bet on whether you’ll receive at least a pair or better in your hand. In some casinos the rules may change but often you will be asked to place an Ante bet in order to bet on the Pair Plus.

How to play 3 card poker at casino?

There are three betting circles in front of each seat. The Bet circle is located the highest and labeled “Pair Plus”; this is where the player bets money to win. Further down, there are two other circles labeled Ante and Play. The game begins when the player places a bet on the Pair Plus circle and / or on the Ante circle, which must be equal to the minimum amount indicated on the table.

After all players have finished placing their bets, the dealer gives each of them three cards. The first player positioned to the left of the dealer starts. The direction of game play is clockwise.

Ante/Play in Three-Card Poker

If a player makes a bet on the Ante, the others must take a decision either to follow or cold. If a player folds, he automatically forfeits and loses his bet. If players wish to continue, they must bet an additional amount and place their new bet in the middle of the “Play” circle. This bet is equal to that placed on the “Ante” circle.

Once all players have made their decision, the dealer will turn all three cards face up. The dealer, to stay in the competition, is obliged to have at least a pair of queens or better. If this is not the case, all the players who are still qualified receive money because of their bet on the Ante, but the rest of the bets placed in the “Play” circle will also play them back.

If the dealer can’t compete, we compare the hands of each player. If your hand is stronger than the dealers, you will earn money for both your Ante and Play bets. If the dealer has a higher hand than yours, you lose all the money you bet. In case of at tie, which is very the player wins.

3 Card Poker Rules Hand Ranks

Since you only receive three cards, the hand ranks are different from that of five card poker hands. This is notably due to the mathematical probabilities of certain hands. They are ranked from highest to lowest according to the following list of 3 card poker hands:

• Straight Flush: Three cards of the same suit in sequence. Example 6-7-8 of clubs.
• Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank.
• Straight: Three cards in sequence.
• Flush: Three cards of the same suit.
• Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
• High Card: Hand with no pairs, but with a strong card.

Ante Bonus

There is a bonus payment for Ante functions of hands you have in your game if you have a straight, three of a kind or straight flush, you will receive a bonus, regardless of whether or not you beat the dealer. This bonus varies regularly and is often displayed on the pay table. For a straight flush, you will usually be paid according to the following odds: 5-1 or 4-1. For three-of-a-kind, it will be 4-1 or 3-1 odds. For a straight, the odds are usually 1-1.

Three Card Poker Strategy

The appropriate strategy to play Three-Card poker is very simple. In fact, you should fold when you have a hand to lower that is lower than Queen 6-4 and you should continue to bet and raise if you have a superior hand.

To see if your game is superior to a Queen, 6 and 4 focus on the queen and try to see if you have a higher card. Pay no attention to the other two cards. If your first card is stronger than a queen and your second card higher than a 6, you can still play without knowing what is the value of your third and final card. But, if your second card is less than a 6, you should fold.

Pair Plus

Betting on the Pair Plus should only happen if your hand consists of a pair or better. In this case, it doesn’t matter what the dealer draws because you just need a pair or better to win. On the other hand, if you don’t have a pair, you’ll lose. In general, you’ll draw a pair or better 25% of the time.

Easy and Entertaining

The popularity of Three Card Poker comes from its simplicity. Since you’re only playing against the dealer, all players are in good spirits and there’s a sense of camaraderie that sets a good atmosphere that is less competitive than regular poker.