Live Three Card Poker Guide and Overview

In this large group of games with Ultimate Texas Holdem, Pai Gow Poker, and others, 3 card poker has a very special place. Because 3 card poker rules are very simple and easy to learn, players all over the globe seem to enjoy the game very much. You get to play quite a few hands in a short period, and with some good luck, it’s possible to go on a nice winning streak.

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A tiny element of skill is attached to the game as well, although the basic three card poker strategy can be learned in a matter of seconds. If you want to learn to play 3 card poker, you’ve come to the right place.

As the name suggests, three card poker is played with three cards. A hand begins with the player placing an ante in the designated box and receiving three cards.

Based on the hand they’re dealt, the player makes one of two options: Play – continuing in a hand by matching their ante bet. Fold – giving up their ante bet without risking any more money.

If you decide to ‘Play,’ you’ll match the ante bet, so if the ante was $5, you’d bet another $5 for the total of $10.

The dealer then reveals their hand, and the two are compared.

Otherwise, your play bet will be returned to you, and you only bank your winnings on the ante.

So, like in almost all other casino poker games, the dealer needs to qualify for your ‘Play’ bet to come into effect.

As long as their hand contains a Queen, they will qualify. However, you’ll only get paid on the ante bet if it’s a Jack-high or lower.

On top of these regular payouts, you can also win bonuses on your ante play for very strong hands.

If you get dealt three of a kind, you’ll be paid 4 to 1 on your money, while getting a straight flush will net you 5 to 1 on your ante bet.

If you’re familiar with any form of poker, like Hold’em or Five Card Draw, you’ll have a pretty good idea of how poker hands rankings work in 3 card poker.

However, hand strengths are somewhat different due to only three cards being dealt to the dealer and the players and no help from any community cards. Here’s the order from the lowest to the highest:

• High card
• One pair
• Flush (three cards of the same suit)
• Straight (three cards of consecutive rankings, i.e., 5, 6, 7)
• Three of a kind
• Straight flush (three consecutive cards of the same suit)

If the dealer and the player have the same higher-ranking hand, like a flush or a straight, the one with the highest card in the combination wins.

For example, a 7, 8, 9 straight beats a 5, 6, 7 straight, and a King-high flush always beats a Queen-high flush. Suits are never used to determine the winner in three card poker games.

In addition to the two standard wagers, i.e., ante and play, you can place a couple more bets at the start of each hand.

These aren’t mandatory, but they add color to the game and can be fun.

The first such bet is the ‘Pair Plus.’

It doesn’t matter if the dealer qualifies for this bonus bet. If you get dealt a pair or better, you’ll be paid on your bonus bet according to the separate paytable, which usually looks like this (although it may vary from one casino to another)

• One pair: 1 to 1
• Flush: 4 to 1
• Straight: 5 to 1
• Trips: 30 to 1
• Any straight flush: 40 to 1
• Mini Royal Flush (Ace, King, Queen of the same suit): 200 to 1

The ‘Pair Plus’ bet is placed at the start of the hand before any cards are dealt, and you can’t withdraw it or increase it once the play starts.

Another special type of bet available in 3 card poker is the 6-Card Bonus.

As you might have guessed, this is a bonus bet that includes six cards, i.e., your three cards and the dealer’s three cards, and it can result in some big payouts if you get lucky.

Pay tables for this bet vary from place to place and may not always be offered.

Winnings usually start at three of a kind (combining any three of the six cards to make trips) and go up to the royal flush (usually paying 1,000 to 1 on your bet).

In some casinos, 3 card poker rules also account for the special combination that contains all cards 9 through Ace of the same suit, offering big payouts.

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