How to play 3 card poker: Rules, Tips and Strategies

Three-card poker is a popular casino game as it's easy to learn and offers simple yet engaging gameplay. The aim of the game is to make the best poker hand to try and beat the dealer. Before we dive deeper into how to play three-card poker, let's look at a quick rundown of the rules:

• The game is played with a standard 52-card deck.

• Players must make the Ante and Pair Plus wagers before the cards are dealt.

• Each player receives 3 cards and must decide whether to continue in the hand or fold it.

• To continue in the hand, each player must make the Play bet, which is of equal value to the Ante bet.

• Once all decisions have been made, the dealer turns their hand face up to check if they qualify - if the dealer has jack-high or worse, they do not qualify.

• The dealer compares their hand against the players' hands and pays them out accordingly.

If you want to learn how to play three card poker but aren't sure where to begin, we've got you covered; our guide help you understand how the game is played, how to determine the winner, and what pay outs you receive when you win.

Starting the Game

Before the cards are dealt, players must make a wager. There are two bets available on three card poker tables:

• Ante Bet: A bet that your hand will beat the dealer's hand. This bet is typically required to play a round of 3 card poker, although some casinos allow you to play with just the Pair Plus bet.

• Pair Plus Bet: A bet that your hand will be a pair or better. This bet is paid out regardless of whether or not you have a better hand than the dealer.

Once all bets have been made, the dealer will deal three cards face down to each player at the table. Three cards are then dealt in front of the dealer.

Gameplay

After the cards have been dealt, each player must decide whether they will play or fold. If the player has a bad hand and wants to fold, they have to discard their hand and the dealer will collect their bet. However, if the player wants to gamble and continue, they must place an additional bet called a "Play" wager, which is placed in the "Play" section of the table.

When playing at an online casino, the Pair Plus bets are completed during this phase of the game, as the results aren't reliant on the dealer qualifying. Pair Plus wagers pay out depending on the strength of the hand you make. Below, we've posted a common pay table for the Pair Plus side bet.

• Pair 1 to 1

• Flush 3 to 1

• Straight 5 to 1

• Three of a kind - 30 to 1

• Straight flush - 40 to 1

Winning Hands and Payouts

Once all players have made their decision, the dealer turns their hand face up. The dealer must make a hand of queen-high or better to "qualify." If the dealer doesn't qualify, the Ante wager is paid out at even money, but the Play bet is a push.

If the dealer qualifies, you compare the player's hand against the dealer's. If the player has a better hand, both the Ante and Play bets are paid out at even money. However, if the dealer has the best hand, the player loses both their Play bet and Ante bet.

The hand rankings are slightly different in three-card poker compared to other games such as video poker. To help you understand whether you've won or lost we've posted the following table displaying the hand rankings from worst to best.

• High Card - 3 non-paired cards in non-sequential order not of the same suit (e.g. Kd8s7c).

• Pair Two cards of the same rank with an additional card (e.g. AdAc9s).

• Flush 3 cards of the same suit in non-sequential order (e.g. 3h8hJh).

• Straight 3 cards in sequential order, not of the same suit (e.g. 7h8h9d).

• Three of a kind 3 cards of the same rank (e.g. 7d7c7h).

• Straight Flush - 3 cards of the same suit in sequential order (e.g. 9cTcJc).

Tied Hands

In the event that the player and the dealer have the same hand rank, the other cards are used to determine the winner. For example, Player A has A-K-5 and the dealer has A-Q-6. Both the player and the dealer have ace-high, but as the player has the higher second card, they win the hand. If both the player and the dealer have identical first and second cards, the third card is used to determine the winning hand.

In the event of the player and the dealer holding the exact same cards, the hand is considered a push.

Ante Bonus

Some casinos offer a bonus on the Ante bet if the player wins with a strong hand. These rewards do not require an additional wager, making them an attractive proposition for the player. Best of all, the ante bonus is paid out regardless of the dealer's hand, meaning you won't miss out if the dealer has jack-high or lower.

Below is an example of a common Ante bonus pay table. However, bear in mind that the pay outs will vary depending on the house rules.

• Straight 1 to 1

• Three of a kind 3 to 1

• Straight Flush 4 to 1

Three-card poker strategy is incredibly simple to learn to play, especially when compared to regular poker games. There's no need to "make a play" at a pot by running a huge bluff; simply remember these two rules, and you'll play perfectly:

1. Play all hands that are equal to or greater than Q-6-4.

2. Fold all hands worse than Q-6-4.

That's it! You've just learned how to play perfect three-card poker strategy. However, due to the house edge, following the optimum strategy isn't enough to win. That's why we recommend all of our readers play for fun rather than profit.

Three-card poker and three-card brag are two similar card games that are commonly found in the UK. However, despite their similarities, the two games are not identical. To help you better understand these two games, we've highlighted their similarities and differences below.

Similarities

Differences